Mender of Souls
by Spoodlexiii
Summary: Soji Seta is set with the duty of watching over a boy while his soul heals. Can he ensure the blue-haired boy recovers safely in Inaba? Chapter 15; Soji can't seem to get enough of Rise's strawberry-tasting lips
1. Dream

A/N: Yooooo what's up? Yep, Spoodle's back. Just a few things I wanna say: This won't be my best fic. This has barely been thought out, I have little idea where the plot may go, so I just wanna say this: Don't harrass me with your 'but the names are actually reversed' and your 'your timeline sucks' and your 'but it doesn't make sense's to yourself, got it? I like my 'but it doesn't make sense' plots. If you don't, suspend disbelief. Or be paitent. Or neither--you bother me anyway at this point. xD Give me a break, it's been a while. On the other hand, hope you get some sort of thrill out of this. xDD

* * *

Dojima lit his cigarette and leaned back into the couch, his eyes trapped by the TV's glow. In his lap sat Nanako, pleasantly content by being so near her father, which left only Soji Seta at the table. Soji was watching the news absently, his mind hazy and his body oddly tired. He hadn't been to the TV world for a little while now, so his soreness and exhaustion confused him, but Yosuke had told him to merely blame post-stress from exams. 'It's summer break now, dude, you can sit back a bit,' Yosuke had contributed happily. 'But not too much--we've still got a job to do! Haha.' Soji tiredly rolled his eyes at the memory but smiled nonetheless. Yosuke was a good guy and Soji liked him.

"Kid, you're lookin' a little out of it," Dojima pointed out, glancing away from the TV. Nanako's attention was attracted as well, and Soji flustered under the attention for a moment before he shrugged. He didn't lie to Dojima. There was no need. He just retained certain information at times. Dojima gestured for him to go off and get some early rest and Soji didn't argue--it was probably for the best. Besides, Soji just found it wearisome to argue or disobey adults. There was little point in it.

Soji was too tired to do much else and so going to his futon was his priority. He was asleep once his head hit the pillow, and the next thing he knew, he felt himself being pulled away from his comfortable darkness to a different place. The black shifted away, and Soji caught himself glancing wearily around the Velvet Room.

There were four people in the Velvet Room, not including Soji, and so when Soji wiped at his eyes to try and focus a bit better, he knew his eyes weren't deceiving him. Igor and Margaret sat there pleasantly, Igor smirking under his long nose and Margaret glancing to the seat opposite her. There another tall, blue-dressed woman sat, but in her lap was a long adolescent figure, who curled against her arm so his head was near her breast.

"No worry," Igor said pleasantly, chuckling lightly. "You are fast asleep in your world. I invited you here in your dreams. How have you been getting along, my young Soji Seta? Making good use of our services?" Soji's eyes were set on the blue-haired boy sleeping in the strange woman's lap, and so his answer came a little slowly.

"Uhh…Er, oh--I have been. Often. Who's…?"

Igor looked to the woman and boy in surprise, but it didn't take a genius to figure out he was faking it. "Oh. You mean these two?" He chuckled and turned back to me. Margaret took up the responsibility of answering.

"This is my predecessor and sister, Elizabeth," she introduced, nodding her head, smiling faintly. Elizabeth took up the responsibility of speaking from there, though her voice was weary and worn.

She gestured to the boy, and Soji nodded curiously. "This is a boy who is about your age. He is the one who was protecting your world from the deadliest of Personae and Shadows and his body died from the wear on his soul. He was not very well prepared for the role now assigned for him--after this rest, he may not need another. I went to go and rescue his soul from destruction, for his protection was beginning to falter. For now, I have set my own soul as the wall while his soul strengthens again."

Soji watched the sleeping boy with wide eyes, unsure how to react any further. His mind whipped through what this meant, and after a few moments of deciphering and reasoning, he turned to Igor. He had ideas of what this boy was, but dared not speak up to be proven wrong. Soji did not like to be wrong in front of those who he felt the desperate desire to impress. If he didn't impress Igor, he worried his powers would be taken away. So he stayed silent until Igor chuckled again and explained.

He gestured to the boy and then crossed his hands under his nose again. "This young man was a former guest of ours. Your predecessor, to be correct. He has the wild card Persona ability, just like you. His eminent return to your world while his soul strengthens again has been what has caused your body some grief--two wild cards so close to each other has an effect similar to that of two positive, or negative, magnets." He paused to chuckle, and Margaret gestured with her own hand as she took up the speaking part.

Soji listened, not sure how he was going to come into this yet, but he was figuring it out quick enough. So this kid was like he is, something happened, and he had to protect the world from some bad Personae. His soul was getting too worn down, though, so Elizabeth had to go get him and bring him back to our world. Alright--that seemed to be the summary of what they were saying. Soji was too tired to really be absorbing this much at once, but he couldn't go back until Igor was satisfied, so he sat patiently.

"We want to ask you," Margaret said quietly, watching Soji with pleading eyes. "To watch him and take care of him until he's strong enough to return. He can fight in the world of Shadows with you and your friends, but do not ask him to fight for long. He may also wish to see some of his old friends, but I believe it is up to you what you will do for him."

"Take care of him," Elizabeth croaked out quietly, her eyes lowered and her free hand moving up to brush back the boy's hair. He continued to sleep without disturbance.

"What's his name?" Soji finally said, and Igor laughed quietly.

"That is your only question, of course," he mused. "His name is Minato Arisato. You will find him waiting for you at the bus station tomorrow--he will know your name and what you look like, so he will greet you."

A silence passed, in which Soji took that moment to absorb again what he had been told. With a final glance to the slumbering Minato Arisato, he nodded and Igor mimicked the action.

"Well, until we meet again…" he bade. "Farewell."

Soji woke instantly, bolting upright and staring about his dark bedroom. A few moments of disorientation consumed him, but once he figured out he was here, at his home with the Dojimas and not at his home back in the city, he recovered. He stood, a hand sliding through his hair and then falling to rest on his hip, and wandered to his window. A clear night greeted him when he drew back the curtain, and he watched the lights outside for a while as he processed what was going through his mind.

He had been ordered to babysit the former Velvet Room guest, Minato Arisato, while his soul patched back together. Another wildcard Persona-user, like him…His body ached and he exhaled, and then nodded. Well, that was fine. Another hand in helping solve the murder would be nice. Besides, Soji didn't really believe the police could handle catching their suspect anyway. It kept Dojima away just about every night, and he only got tonight off because he had Adachi doing some work for him. Soji let his curtain fall back and he returned to his futon. He fell asleep again, gradually, as his mind took some time to put some things together and relax.

What was the other wild-card Persona-user like?


	2. Persona

Yay, a rush of reviews. Whoo. Wish you guys didn't post anon, so I can reply to you ^^'' A few things; Yes, I know the bad guys are Shadows, but Thanatos, Nyx, and the others are what Minato's holding back--and since Thanatos is a Persona, and I wasn't sure how to classify the others, I called them Personae. And I like slash, personally, and it isn't because there's a shortage of female characters. But because you guys asked, I won't go down that lane--I get a free shot with Kanji, though. One more thing; I like to build my own personality for the MC. You haven't been quite paitent enough to see my development in him, and though he may not be as canon as some may like, I don't think he's too far off. This is my first chance with him and the others; I've got more experience with our P3 friends.

Alright, enough of that rant replying to reviews. XD I ask that you sign in so I can actually reply to you, so I don't need to leave a paragraph of replies. xD Hopefully I'll be able to update at least once every day or so--If I get my story out fast enough, I don't stop caring and let it die.

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"Hey dude," Yosuke greeted as he braked past Soji. Skidding, he twisted his bike so he was sideways across the walkway, grinning at Soji all the while. He slid from his metal steed and walked it along beside his friend so he could talk. "Where're you going? Want to hit the TV today? I've got this wicked spell I want to use. It'll knock Kanji's socks right off."

"Do you think he wears socks?" Soji asked thoughtfully, his hand on his hip. Yosuke thought on this a moment before shrugging.

"'Prolly not. I don't know. Maybe he makes his own, liking to sew and all that stuff. How the hell am I supposed to know? I'm not Kanji's mother," he replied, and Soji laughed at the idea. Yosuke simply snorted and shook his head. "Anyway, you didn't answer me. Where's the fire?"

Soji gestured to the bus stop. He'd left early from home so he could get there before the bus arrived, and he stood with Yosuke as they approached the sign. "I could ask the same of you," Soji said evenly, and Yosuke's cheeks turned bright pink. He flustered, then snapped back, "Yeah, well, I asked you first!"

Soji leaned against the wall and gestured again to the bus stop. Yosuke let out a noise of recognition, and leaned beside him, setting his bike against the corner. He broke out a pack of gum and offered a piece to Soji, and Soji grinned. "So, now you're bribing me?"

"What? No. Well. Maybe," Yosuke laughed, smirking. "Who're you waiting for, dude?"

"This kid. He's…er…" Soji stumbled in his words, looking desperately for a good explanation. Cousin? Friend? Cousin. "He's a cousin of mine. Dad's side. He's a little sick, and they think the country air would be good for him. He's, ah…I think he might have the same power as us." Yosuke looked surprised, and he popped a bubble thoughtfully. The two talked for a bit longer on the possibilities if they had another member. Their talk paused when Chie walked past, and so did her stride. She glanced back at them, then sided Soji while stealing a piece of gum from Yosuke.

Yosuke explained to her what they were doing and she joined in their conversation, pretty excited.

"You really think he might be like us?" she asked, grinning. "Oh, wow! That would be so exciting! How do you know?"

Soji gesticulated for a moment, then just shrugged and left it at that. Chie's face fell a bit, then she held up a finger. "Oh, oh, oh, wait a second. Let me go get Kanji and Rise, okay? Call Yukiko for me. I'm sure your cousin would totally love to hang with all of us today." And then she took off. Yosuke sighed and obediently called up Yukiko, then looked to Soji with a weak smile.

"Ya' get Chie involved, she involves the entire neighborhood…Ah, well, at least your cousin'll feel loved," he supplied, and Soji nodded back sheepishly. Soon enough, the entire crew, minus Teddie who was already working at Junes, were gathered at the bus stop. They talked idly and not about the TV world, because they knew there were others who actually wanted to use the bus standing by that could consider them all insane. They all quieted when the bus finally pulled up and looked toward it expectantly.

The only person getting off was a young man with a head of blue hair and tired gray eyes. He stepped wearily off of the bus, a bag of possessions slung on his shoulder and dressed in a white shirt and black pants. He wasn't as tall as Soji, but he wasn't that short either. There was a blank expression on his face, one that could compete with Soji's own solid gaze, and he looked tired. But there was something fragile and mysterious to him, as well as something that felt deadly. He was…a curious person, and Soji instantly recognized this as strength. He stepped forward to rest a hand on the blue-haired boy's shoulder and he shuddered at the feeling.

"Hello, Minato-kun," Soji said softly. "I'm your _cousin_ Soji. How was the ride?"

Minato glanced up, and nodded. He said nothing. A person who could understand the value of silence! Soji was thrilled. This really made things easier. He introduced his friends to Minato, who all greeted him merrily. Minato sized each one of them up, then he smiled slightly and nodded. Kanji blushed, and Yosuke nudged him obnoxiously.

"So, Kanji-kun, how'd you rate him? Is he cuter than Teddie, handsome like me, or…?" he teased, and Kanji slugged him in the shoulder.

"Shut up! What the hell did I say, punk!? I'm not like that! Do you want to be hanging from an antennae by your balls?" Kanji snarled and Yosuke yelped, hiding behind Chie. Yukiko began to laugh, like this was all part of a domino effect, and all of them sighed. Minato laughed quietly too, then something like sadness stole him and he looked down.

Soji looked down at him curiously, and Minato plainly said, "You remind me of my own friends…"

"Ah," Soji replied, not having much to say in reply, and then turned to his friends. "…Let's go to Junes, guys. We're making a scene. I don't want Adachi to start following us around again." They agreed and started to head off, talking merrily all the way. Minato listened to his headphones, off in his own world, and Soji kept his own silence.

They went to their special headquarters and met up with Teddie, who seemed excited to meet a 'relative' of Soji's.

"Oh, wow," Rise said as she sat down next to Minato at the table. "…You have a very strong Persona, don't you?" Everyone else started, then sweat dropped, nervous about introducing a foreign subject to Minato, but the boy simply looked to her like he was surprised she'd been the one to bring it up. Soji wasn't sure if he was surprised he was being asked or if we knew--or, maybe that was the same thing, really.

He debated for a moment, then he looked down. "…I thought we abolished the Dark Hour…"

"Dark Hour?" Yukiko asked. "What's that?"

Teddie removed his head and sat down, his bright blue eyes on Minato curiously. "Was…A while ago, before I had even met these guys, there was a time when Shadows left my world and went somewhere else. It was for a long time, but it stopped recently, so there's more Shadows than ever in my world." Minato looked to Teddie, then brushed his hair from his face.

"The Dark Hour is a secret hour that happens at Midnight. That was when the Shadows came out, and that was when my friends and I fought with our Personae. So do you have these…?"

Then Minato reached into his bag, pulling out a gun. Everyone at the table jumped, and Yosuke lunged, shoving the gun back into the boy's lap.

"Dude! We got hauled into the police station because I had a katana and some kunai out. Imagine what would happen if you were caught with a gun! Jesus, dude…" Yosuke sighed, slumping over and trying to deal with the adrenaline rush. Minato raised an eyebrow, then looked at the gun in his lap.

"This?" he said quietly. "This isn't a gun. It is an Evoker. I use it to draw out my Persona. There's another way, but that hurt the user…Don't you guys use Evokers?"

"Naw, man," Kanji said, shaking his head. "We were given, like, these cards. Tarot cards or something, you know? And, like, we break those and out comes our Personas. Then they kick ass and disappear again. Then we just re-break the cards as many times as we need too, and stuff. No guns. Er. Evokers? Whatever."

Minato looked at his Evoker, then quietly slide it back into his bag, nodding. "…So, where do you fight Shadows, then? If the Dark Hour is gone--your world, I guess?" he added, turning to Teddie. Teddie shrugged.

"I have no idea. Teddie has no memories of his world, really. He just knows he's always lived there alone," he sighed dramatically. Rise let out a little squeal and moved across the table to hug him, giggling a little. Soji managed to make out a 'too cute!' and he blushed himself. Minato smiled despite himself, but continued.

"Then I suppose that's maybe where the Dark Hour came from…a splice between your world and ours."

Yukiko nodded. "It'd make sense. During the Midnight Channel, you can see something from the TV world, and you said it was at Midnight that your Dark Hour occurred. It's very possible. "

Chie decided then to suggest they take Minato to the TV world, so he could see if it was like his 'Dark Hour'. Soji looked to Minato, knowing he was supposed to care for the other's health, but Minato didn't complain, so it was agreed upon.

Once inside the TV, Minato looked around. Soji gave him his glasses and Minato thanked him, then returned to looking around. Soji stayed near him, just in case. Then, Minato once more brought out his Evoker gun, and held it to his head. Everybody choked and lunged to knock it away, but it was too late--there was a click and a loud bang, as well as the sound of shattering glass. Soji paused, then staggered backwards, looking up at Minato's Persona.

Thanatos let out a loud roar and Minato grunted, doubling over and gasping for air. Thanatos throbbed and pulsed, then disappeared and Minato fell to his knees.

"…He's…still as…strong as I remember…" Minato mumbled before collapsing completely.


	3. Home

A/N:...Hmm...I've thought about this, but I don't feel energized enough to actually look it up, but was Apathy Syndrome isolated to Iwatodai? Not that I'm going to change my chapter on the answer, just curious. xD I don't think it was, but...Hmm. Anyway--thanks for the reviews, I'm loving the feedback, and thanks so much to the guys who signed in. My one anon dude-Sign in, 'kay, buddy? Don't ask questions if I can't reply to themmmmm. Alright, done with my moanings. On to the story.

* * *

"Oh shit," Yosuke panicked. Teddie was holding his head, just as freaked out. Yukiko and Kanji bent to see to the other's well-being, while Soji stood back with Rise and Chie, just observing and thinking over what they'd seen.

Rise trembled. Chie looked to her questionably, and the girl looked down anxiously. "That's…That's a strong Persona. He's…He doesn't feel like he belongs to any of the Arcanum…He feels like he _is_ Death, not just part of it."

"Now I know where I've seen this kid," Yosuke suddenly yelped, pausing. "Dude, dude, do any of you guys remember the Lost a year or two ago?"

Soji shuddered, nodding. "…Yeah, I knew some people who went Lost," he admitted. Rise nodded as well. The others looked confused. Soji explained, "The Lost were people who kind of lost their minds. They'd just sit there and blank out. Some people recovered, others didn't. It was kind of cyclical. It was an epidemic that stopped completely after this weird 'coming of Nyx' meltdown thing."

"Yeah, yeah," Yosuke agreed, nodding. "Happened in this town called Iwatodai, mostly. Anyway, this kid made national news. Arisato, right? He went into a coma or something, and this big shot chick named Kirijo started up a foundation or something in his name. Arisato Charity or something, that went to treating remaining cases of Apathy Syndrome. Dude, this kid is your cousin?"

Soji, not at all familiar with any of this information, flustered under the pressure and then nodded weakly. "…I…didn't know he went through any of that. We've never really met before," Soji admitted. "My aunt just called me and said he needed a place to stay in the country so he could recover. Maybe she meant that?" Minato had stirred thanks to Yukiko's healing arts and he looked up dizzily.

"…Kirijo…Did someone say that name…?"

"Yeah, me. Why?" Yosuke answered, folding his arms curiously.

"Do you know her?"

"No. Why?"

"Oh."

Minato stood weakly and Soji naturally moved forward, holding his shoulders kindly. Minato leaned back into his touch, which freaked Soji out a bit, but the movement felt so natural and sweet that Soji didn't argue or move away. He let Minato lean into him. Minato said nothing, but Kanji suggested that they should leave, so Minato wasn't strained further. They returned to the food court and talked for a while longer, and when it started to get late, the others all split up. Minato and Soji walked home together, and then another problem came up.

Dojima was home again.

"Who's that? Isn't it a little late to have someone over?" Dojima asked, eyebrow raised. Nanako moved shyly to Soji and like magic, they got to witness Minato's amazing ability to change personalities. A warm smile broke over his face and he crouched down, holding out his hand.

"Hello," he said gently. "I'm Minato. You look like this pretty little girl I knew back at home. But I don't think her clothes were as pretty as yours."

Nanako lit right up, and she moved forward to him. "Really? I love these clothes too! They're so nice and easy to wash!" They started up into an avid conversation, and Soji took that moment to approach Dojima and talk with him about Minato staying.

Soji stood while Dojima sat on the couch, and Soji still felt at a disadvantage. Dojima was scowling, and that did not bode well. But he braved on anyway. "That's Arisato-kun. He's a cousin of mine--my dad's side. I didn't know him until yesterday, to be honest. Aunt called and said he needed a place to stay out in the country, and she knew I lived here in Inaba. So…I…I'm sorry, uncle, I didn't check with you first, but I told her he could stay with me."

Dojima tightened his jaw and thought for a moment. Soji glanced with him over to Minato, who had instantly agreed to go help Nanako with the dishes from the dinner Soji and he had missed. They were talking up a storm, which honestly surprised the hell out of Soji. They had barely heard much of anything out him--only about a sentence or two at a time, if that. Now he was streaming out paragraphs with Nanako. How…odd.

"How long?"

"Hm?"

"I said how long? How long is he going to be staying?"

"Oh," Soji said, flustering. "Oh, er, not too long. Just long enough for his health to improve. Apparently he was in some coma…?"

"Actually, I died," Minato contributed, looking over his shoulder. Both Dojima and Soji looked startled, but Minato didn't seem to notice nor care. "Well, not completely. But my body kind of got really tired, even if my mind was somewhere else and alive. I could still hear people and stuff." The two relaxed. Soji had been worried that Minato was going to be completely honest, but this half-truth worked just as well. Dojima busied himself in his newspaper for a moment, thinking, before Nanako let out a plea.

"Oh, please, dad? If he needs to rest, he can stay and keep me company at home while Big Bro and you are gone!" she begged, and both of the boys looked away, embarrassed with their busy schedules. Minato smiled, nodding.

"I won't be any trouble, sir," he promised. Dojima sighed and nodded, giving up and agreeing. Soji smiled and Minato high-fived a soapy-handed Nanako. Soji then went up to bed, telling Minato that when he was ready to sleep, he could come up whenever. "Okay, I'll be up there soon. Let me finish up helping with Nanako-chan." Soji had never seen anything like it. A relationship had been established within seconds and Soji wondered if Minato had already established a social link with his real cousin. Maybe…with enough practice, he'd get that good too…

Soji set about translating some work and after a while, Minato came up and entered his room quietly. The liveliness expressed with Nanako was gone, and the same quiet, tired boy Soji had met at the bus stop had returned. He sat down beside Soji and quietly helped him translate. This kid had brains, too, and Soji felt an odd flash of jealousy. He said nothing for a while, just watched the kid, before he lowered his gaze.

"…She's Justice," Minato finally said when he was done. He stood and laid down on the couch, and Soji, starting to set up his futon, nodded. "Strong little girl."

"Dojima's Hierophant," Soji reported quietly. "…Rise said your Persona was Death."

Minato nodded. "The harbinger of Death, actually, as well as Fool and Judgment. Thanatos is my like my Shadow Persona, kind of. He's a bad version of my best Persona. He brings the mighty monster Nyx to earth to cause a catastrophe…That's what Elizabeth and Igor told me my soul was preventing from happening again. Guess I became a martyr for my friends. That's okay, though."

"Is it?" Soji asked, sitting on his knees and looking to the other. Minato watched him back. Minato thought for a moment, then nodded.

"It is. I don't mind if I'm going to be in pain like this for the rest of my life. If my soul begins to tatter to a point where I can't be fixed, that's okay. As long as my friends are safe and okay, it's okay."

The two spoke quietly to each other for a little while longer, until Minato fell asleep on the couch in the middle of a sentence, and Soji politely covered him in a spare blanket before falling asleep himself.

…_As long as your friends were safe… it was okay to let yourself hurt to protect them…?_

…_That actually makes sense... _

_Who…Just who is this kid…?_


	4. Familiarity

A/N: Yay reviews. I guess going no-slash really makes things popular. xD This chapter's a bit longer than the rest, and this is when I'm going to start changing perspective between our two MC's. ^^ Thank you, all, and I'll try to keep up this pace of updating so often. :3 Don't be afraid to start bullying me if I slack off.

* * *

He was a weird kid, but one that was easy to get along with. Nanako had become attached practically overnight, and Soji felt it was safe enough to leave Minato home with her while he went out on dates with his friends. If there was one thing the Dojimas found out quickly, the kid was a whiz at cooking. Dinners were home-made and wonderful, and Soji felt a flash of envy when Nanako praised Minato as she did. However, he knew that it was alright, and it certainly made up for his own mediocre cooking skills.

It was the tenth of the month, as the two were sitting in Soji's room and watching a TV show that Minato brought up the TV world. They talked quietly, with Soji explaining parts of what had happened so far and what needed to be done. They flipped to view the weather and Minato smirked childishly from the couch.

"Cutting it close, aren't you?" he taunted a bit, and Soji threw his pillow at him.

"Oh, shut up. It's a hard dungeon," Soji joked back, smiling in return. "What do you know? Doesn't sound like your Dark Hour was all that challenging."

"The Dark Hour wasn't in itself. It was the dungeon our school became at night--Tartarus." A dark look of irritation passed on Minato's face, and he sighed, burying his face into his pillow. "Ngh. Tartarus. I don't even remember how many levels that building had. It was a nightmare."

Soji shrugged. The Shadows could make anything a nightmare easily. He could compare. The two talked a bit more before Soji decided he needed to get some rest. "I've got a long day ahead of me. I'd ask you to come along, Minato-kun, but damn, after watching you get wiped out by your Thanatos--"

"If I use Orpheus, I should be okay," Minato replied evenly. "I can help you, if only from the sidelines, if you'd like." Soji smiled into his pillow but said nothing other than, "If you think you can help."

The next day, they all met up at the special headquarters. Minato spent his time rubbing the fox's head while the others talked about the urgency of this upcoming battle, and Soji watched pleasantly from his chair. He was almost like babysitting a real kid. His moods changed so fast…and depending on who he was around, he could act really different from how he acted around a lot of people. Alone with Nanako, he acted happy and easily excited, but alone with Dojima, he was polite and reserved. It was beyond interesting.

They entered the TV, and they all watched as Minato stared off, completely uninterested and involved in listening his music. Yosuke grinned. "A guy who can appreciate a good tune. Damn he's cool."

"Don't go all 'fangirl' on him, Yosuke," Chie teased.

"…Fangirl…?" Kanji repeated, blushing a bit. Yukiko snickered, but Yosuke chose to just go deaf to Chie's words and the other's reactions. They turned to Soji when done conversing with themselves, looking for his authority on their actions, and Soji politely excused himself to go off for a moment. Minato perked and joined him, and they entered the Velvet Room together.

There, Igor greeted them, and while Igor assisted to Minato's Personae needs, Margaret busied herself with Soji's. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen. Soji couldn't tell if it disheartened Minato any, because the kid had thrown up his facial shield again. He was harder to read than a book written in a different language. You only had a general idea of what the book was about and all of the details inside were impossible to decipher without some help from the book itself.

"Don't do that," Minato said quickly. Soji started, glancing over. "Not that fusion. That one won't help you get anywhere."

"I can fuse what I want," Soji replied evenly, a touch annoyed at being interrupted. "What are you doing?"

"Going through my own Compendium, but I don't have enough yen to bring back some of my favorites. I've only got Thanatos, Orpheus, and…Messiah…" His voice trailed off a moment as though he hurt to even think of that Persona, which was weird, and then he continued, "But I can't use one, I can't control the other, and the last one is quite young and weak."

After rolling his eyes, Soji bought some of Minato's old Personae for him, then returned to his own book and his own Personae. After having a peek into the other's book, though, that envy and jealousy returned. Damn, this kid really was better than him. By a lot, too. He was his superior in this place…but Soji didn't want to admit respect for a kid shorter and weaker than him. And a kid who seemed to be better in just about every way.

The two returned to find Yosuke teasing Kanji.

"Oh, admit it, you liiiiike it."

"S-Shut up!" Kanji snarled. "Look, if we ain't gonna do anything, then I'm getting the hell out of here. Leader, what the hell man, what took you two long? Peeing in this TV is probably going to short it out or some shit."

"I'm blind as a bat without my own glasses. I needed help," Minato said, gesturing with a hand as he spoke, and Soji flustered. Tensed, he was about snap something, but Yukiko snickered and they sighed. He just gave up and went with it. It wasn't like they could really discuss the Velvet Room. No one would understand. Prepared and all set to go, they went off toward the entrance to the Void Quest dungeon, and there they entered with Soji, Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie as their front line. The others hung back at a respectful distance, with Minato providing occasional assistance with his nondescript Personae. Soji ignored him for the most part, slightly annoyed when he threw in an occasional spell, but soon they had reached the final level of Void Quest and he didn't care.

They confronted Mitsuo, and after an agonizingly long battle, they had their killer. As they dragged his ass out into the real world, Soji saw Minato come near, his eyes still blank as ever but his lips turned down ever so slightly. They sided in silence as the cops took away the boy, and for that moment, while the others went instinctively back to the Special Headquarters, they exchanged a silent message.

It wasn't over. This wasn't right. Minato murmured something as they walked, his hands in his pockets and Soji's hand on his hip, "It's too early to celebrate."

"Yeah, I know."

"But you will anyway."

"Yeah. You helped. You want in on it?"

"If you'll have me."

The two met up with the others, and there, they talked about what was next. A celebration was indeed brought up and the idea was universally praised. When the celebration turned into a cooking contest, Minato turned up his music a few extra inches and sighed quietly, but Soji caught a happy little smirk hiding at the corner of his mouth. This was good for him, wasn't it? Being around others, doing something natural, not having to keep secrets about the Shadows and their world…It had to be good for him. Soji couldn't tell if he was healing. He always had a blank expression with an occasional smirk, smile, or frown. Then again, everything was conditional on who was around…

Once they were in the grocery department and they knew what Nanako wanted to have for dinner, they split up. Soji departed as well to get his own materials, and that left Minato alone with Kanji and Yosuke.

-----Minato-----

Minato crossed his arms, watching the other two watch him. He was debating on their character. That was his first job whenever he was alone with a few people. Kanji was a tough guy on the outside, that much was obvious by his clothing and his attitude. But then it was the finer details he had noticed, such as hand-sewn repair jobs in his clothes and the way he behaved with his friends that showed off who he really was. He was a softie underneath. He was probably more teddie-bear like than Teddie.

Then there was Yosuke. He was so…like a combination of two of his old friends than it almost stung. There was a casualness and an easy-going behavior, as well as a go-get-em attitude that had been shown in battle. But underneath a big grin and a happy laugh, there was always a pained conflict underneath. Minato would be careful not to strike that sore spot until they were closer.

He smiled casually, leaning against a produce display, cocking his head just so, so his other eye could be seen under his hair. "You know that this won't end well."

"Oh, it's worse than that," Yosuke started up instantly, Minato's word choice getting the exact reaction. "You should have seen what those girls cooked up at camp! I mean damn! Soji was with them when they collected ingredients, and did he say anything to them as they collected ingredients? Nope! Idiot! He's partial to blame, but then you'd think that the manager-to-be of the amazing Amagi Inn can cook just a little!" Yosuke ran his fingers through his hair in irritation. "Oh god, I can feel the bile again…" Kanji snorted, jerking his head.

"Don't bring up camp. What happened to just forgetting about it?"

Then something seemed to strike them both and they shuddered. Minato raised an eyebrow, and they both shook their heads. He turned, pretending to lose interest, and examined some produce.

"…I can cook too," he admitted. "Would you like me to try?" He glanced back, sheepish and maybe blushing a bit.

Kanji nodded, grinning. "Well, why the hell not? I can't cook at all. I can sew, but not cook." It took a moment for him to realize what he had said, and he blushed and looked away. "If you dare…"

"Sew? I…could never sew," Minato said quietly, pulling out the flattery card. "That's so cool." Kanji grinned, and Minato felt something in his mind appear. Like the strands of a spider web, a connection was built between Kanji and he. A social link started then and there. Minato's words had started up trust in Kanji, and so the Emperor link had been established. Kanji disappeared, saying something about going to another department and returning later. This left Yosuke and Minato alone.

"Wow, you're a manipulator, aren't you?" Yosuke commented, grinning. "That was smooth, dude." Minato shrugged, switching character a bit. It was ever-so-much easier when it was only one-on-one. He was whatever someone wanted him to be. An admirer of arts and crafts, a big brother, a friend, a lover--he was a jack of all trades and an ace of none. A card whose face you decided.

They talked a bit, waiting for the girls and the other guys to return. Minato started to ask things about Junes, and as he did so, he saw bits and pieces of Yosuke's true feelings. "Yeah, this place is okay, but when I first came here…I really hated Inaba," he admitted. "And this store's alright too. Though…I do feel bad what Junes has done to the town. We've really bankrupted some stores."

"Inaba can't stay in the past forever," Minato said lowly. "It was going to happen sometime or another. If it wasn't Junes, it would be something else…Though, this town will never be a pulsing city." Yosuke laughed, nodding, his smile stronger. Minato laughed too, and when they were done, Minato felt another pulse of friendship budding. The Magician Arcanum? His smile became spotted with pain and he lowered his gaze. He was so familiar for a reason…

The others returned, and Minato spotted Soji looking at him intently. Minato glanced to Kanji and Yosuke to prove his point. Soji raised his eyebrows, then returned to his stoic expression and let it drop. Minato smiled to himself. Soji wasn't like him. Soji held strong to his own personality, and it made Minato wonder what his own, true personality would be like if he hadn't been blended with Death so young…Not that it was important. Once the pain he felt while he lived faded and his mind felt more intact, he'd be leaving again to protect the world. If he healed fast enough, no pain would come to Elizabeth. He didn't wish to make her suffer longer than she had to…

"Alright, let's go!" Rise cheered. "It's time to go cook!" Minato sided Soji and as a pack, the investigation squad moved out.


	5. Cooking

A/N: ooooooooooh damn this game is good. xD I'm getting further and further ahead...I'm so excited. xD Anyway, thanks for your reviews, I'm loving them. I'm doing my best to keep up a good pace and keep my characters in character. xD

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----Soji-----

The display before them was frightening. The girls cooking was a disturbing concept alone, but when the efforts came out looking like…this, it was a truly nightmarish ordeal to actually have to consider eating any of this. Five plates of omelets and rice were on the table. The cookers here were Rise, Yukiko, Chie, Minato and himself, and Soji was almost too afraid to reach across some of their plates to get a taste of the others. Nanako sat in Minato's lap, who was now called 'Mina-kun' quite affectionately. Soji liked his own title of 'Big Bro' better anyway.

"Which am I supposed to eat first?" Nanako asked, overwhelmed.

"Whichever!" Teddie said happily. He reached over and sampled Rise's crimson-colored food. With his big grin, he cheered, "Ouch!" Then he fell back, sniffing miserably over a toothache. Soji watched was despair; it'd eaten at his tooth?

"Nanako-chan," he said weakly. "Don't try eat that one."

Rise puffed up her cheeks and she stood, coming over and plopping herself down in Soji's lap. Then she twisted and tugged on his hair grumpily. "Be nice! I command you to be nice to me, Risette, or I'll force you to shop with me all day tomorrow. At the Tofu shop."

"I'll be good," Soji sighed, and he tried to ignore Yosuke's painfully loud murmur of 'Whipped!' to the best of his ability. He sampled Rise's and tried not to let his eyes water. "It's…It's…um…spicy. That's. Er.. Good." Rise smiled happily and treated him to a gentle pat on the head, but still didn't get up and out of his lap.

Kanji fell back. "Yukiko's is out," he grunted. Yosuke sampled Chie's and he fell back as well.

"So is Chie's."

The two girls stood, their eyes sparking with a cruel rage, and Chie moved to Yosuke. She grabbed her plate and grinned. "Open up or I'm forcing it in."

"W-What? No--NOOOOO!"

Nanako was giggling wildly as Chie force-fed Yosuke her creation, and Minato was chuckling quietly. Soji was too busy trying to prove to Rise that he did like her's, even if his eyes were watery with spicy-related pain. Yukiko was standing over Kanji, ready to bully him into eating some of her's, but the interaction between Chie and Yosuke was too funny for her to resist. She dissolved into a giggle fit, which Kanji took advantage of and squirmed away to the couch, declaring it a safe zone. None of them noticed when Nanako sampled both Soji's and Minato's creation, and then no one noticed the way her little face scrunched up in careful thought.

She looked between the two, then looked down at the plates.

"I…like them both a lot," she finally judged. Minato and Soji glanced to her, then to each other with a spark of competition. But before they could lunge and try the other's, Nanako was already working on both of them, bite for bite. Rise reached over and decided to help, as well as a now-recovered Teddie. Minato, never one for eating much of anything, took a few bites of one of them and then looked content. Kanji came down from his cowering and decided to pitch in his efforts as well, and after a moment longer, Chie and Yukiko joined in. Yosuke was left a beaten heap of coughing mess on the floor.

The night was long and fun and when it was time for the others to go home, they left with happy faces and looks of accomplishment. Minato and Soji saw Nanako off to bed and then went in as a joint effort to start washing the used dishes. They worked quietly, side-by-side, for a while until Minato 's knees buckled under him and he fell backwards out of the blue. Soji was so surprised by the suddenness that he simply stared as Minato hit the table and slumped down.

"…You okay?" he asked, a little too surprised to do much else. Minato rubbed at his back, looking annoyed.

"Yeah, fine," he sighed, pulling himself back up. "Little tired, that's all. Mind if I head up early?"

"No, go ahead. Sure you're alright? You aren't going to die on me, are you?" Soji smiled lightly, and Minato smirked back.

"No, I already died once. I think I'm good for a while. Being near you is just rough on me, that's all."

The statement, while seeming something negative and not-so-nice, wasn't at all. It was the truth. There was a physical strain on them both when they were so close together. Why, Soji wasn't really sure. Igor's explanation of them both being wild cards close together was a little vague and unhelpful, and so it left Soji to assume that there was some reason why that was beyond his current comprehension.

Soji felt his own knees buckle under him not long after Minato went upstairs, but he caught himself and prevented himself from repeating the same action. He sighed, then smirked. Well, at least they were synchronized. He finished the dishes and cleaned up a bit more before he went upstairs, figuring that Dojima wasn't going to come home tonight.

He laid down on his futon once it was set up, and for a while, he just watched Minato sleep. The kid didn't look well. He hadn't since he had come here. Soji hoped he would recover. He was a good kid. Even if they couldn't create Social Links with each other…you didn't need those to prove you could be friends with someone. Soji laid down, and lost himself to sleep.

-----Minato-----

"I like the new location," Minato said quietly, looking about the Velvet Room. Elizabeth, her eyes shut and her body leaning against her seat, smiled faintly.

"The master does like a change of pace every now and then."

There was a moment of silence. It was so odd, to be alone with her in the Velvet Room. Where Margaret and Igor were, he had no idea. He didn't care. He had fallen asleep wanting to speak to Elizabeth, and here he was, speaking with her. She was exhausted, and guilt crawled in Minato's stomach. She was hurting to ensure he recovered. It was his fault. But yet he said nothing and neither did she. She just sat there, unusually vulnerable and unguarded, as was he.

"How are my friends, Elizabeth? Do you know?"

She opened her eyes for a moment to see him, and she saw through his blank expression and even tone. She always did. She saw the underdeveloped personality that was the true Minato Arisato, and Minato hated it and loved it at the same time. She could tell he was nervous and lonely and guilty. She could give him the response he wanted instead of the answer to his question.

"Margaret says he is a kind boy. Soji Seta will be good to you. He and his fiends will be good to you, Minato-kun. Spend time with them, get to know them. You have the rest of their summer vacation to spend time with them. And then afterwards, they have a class trip to another school."

Minato gripped his pant leg and took a quick breath of air.

"They're going to Gekkoukan?"

Elizabeth shut her eyes and nodded. "Your friends are still there. The one who approaches you will lead you to the others. Remember that. I can say no more."

Minato nodded, lowering his eyes in thought. When he was done, he nodded. "Thank you, Elizabeth. Please, be strong for a little while longer. I won't let you hurt for long."

"I do not hurt much when I see you happy, Minato-kun," she murmured tiredly. "Until we meet again, then. Farewell."

Minato sat up, stirring from his dreams and his sleep, and he looked around. Soji was snoring, fast asleep on his futon. He looked to the clock, barely able to make out what time it was, but then the numbers changed and Minato saw. Midnight. A light sprinkle had started up outside, and so at that moment, the TV glowed to life. There, inside, was a person. Curious, Minato got up from the couch and moved over. Was this the 'Midnight Channel...?' There, inside the screen, was a gray-haired boy with startling blue eyes. It was a short moment, too short for Minato, and during that moment, the boy grinned and laughed.

"I can't stay long. I'm not supposed to be here. A friend thought you were lonely, and I get to come out and play for a while," the boy said, fingers resting on his chest. "Join me tomorrow. Any longer and you'll miss me. See you." He laughed, and then the TV went blank again.

Minato touched the screen, his heart aching. There it was. The other half of his personality--the part that had ripped away from him one night ever so coldly. Elizabeth…had let him out, for him? Just for a day? His eyes overtook him with a wetness, and he blinked away the unshed tears irritably.

"I promise to see you, Ryoji. Wait for me."


	6. Ryoji

A/N: Another update for you. :3 Oh, and for those of you who I haven't mentioned this to, I haven't played FES. So although I hint and stab at some of what happened in FES, I'm just guessing blindly and going off of what I've heard. xD Alright; enough of that. Reviews are much loved, keep 'em coming. Here you go; a new social link for you! Go girls!

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----Minato----

"I can't take you," Soji said distractedly, taking a shirt from Nanako and hanging it up on the wire. "I'm taking Nanako to Junes later today. I'm a little too burnt out on the TV world anyway. Yeah--thanks, Nanako," he added, taking another shirt and hanging it up. Minato stood by and watched, feeling uncomfortable in the direct rays of dim sunlight, with his hands in his pockets. His music was on but he kept his headphones around his neck, simply because he wanted to hear his tunes and yet not give them his full attention. It was a hazy sort of day, not quite foggy but still cloudy and overcast. The fog had set in not long after midnight, but the sun and the heat was burning it off quickly.

Which made the humidity unbearably high. For now, he had his shirt unbuttoned and carelessly open, as did Soji. It was simply too stifling to bother being modest around little Nanako, whose only reaction to both of them was the old scars on Minato's skin and the new, bright red ones on Soji. After playing doctor after breakfast and letting her stick band aids all over them, Soji had moved to help her with her chores as a 'thank you'.

"I need to go," Minato said quietly. "You can just drop me off in the electronics department when you go with Nanako."

"I'm not leaving you alone in there. Do you want to die again?" Soji snapped, his temper being tested. Minato knew he wasn't an easy guy to anger, and his temperament was usually mild and flexible, but it was their similarities that clashed so awfully that annoyed him. Soji paused, debating a moment, before he sighed and paused from his work, pulling out his cell. He called someone, and Nanako took that moment to look to Minato.

Minato smiled warmly. "We aren't fighting. Your big bro just doesn't want me to get hurt."

"Oh, good. I hate it when people fight," Nanako said happily in return, and she went back to her work. Minato buttoned up his shirt, mussing up his hair a bit because it was starting to stick to his scalp, and sat down on the back steps. He looked around, admiring how peaceful the country could be. It was almost familiar, but the last time Minato remembered being in the hicks was when he was much younger. It wasn't long after his folks had died and he was living with his own aunt and uncle. They may not have been the friendliest of folks, and they may have hated his guts, but the place they lived had been nice and Minato enjoyed the freedom.

Soji approached him, folding up his cell and pocketing it. He was quiet, until he sighed and gestured vaguely. "Chie said she'll go with you. She'll probably bring the other girls. Can you get to Samegawa by yourself? If not, I'll take you. It's not too far a walk."

"No, I remember how to get there," Minato rejected, nodding his thanks and standing. "Thanks. It's important."

"Well, if you say so," Soji sighed, smiling a little. "Be careful. I'm responsible for you, after all. I don't want Igor to revoke my power or something." They exchanged a quick laugh, and then Minato turned his back to his two friends. He put on his shoes inside the house, and then set off for Samegawa.

It was refreshing, to walk like this, but it also reminded him painfully of his weakness. He ached like an old man and it annoyed him a bit. He doubted he had enough strength to take up his old battle axe should he run into any Shadows. The axe…The one memento he had of an old friend. His mind slipped back to Iwatodai, to SEES, to the Dark Hour and to that single year that changed everything. His friends' old Social Links were still strong and burning, and he remembered them all fondly. It was almost fun, if not heart-wrenching, to see little things that reminded him of his past. It hadn't been too long ago, not really, but he'd been away for so long his mind felt it was decades later. They only changes, really, were that most of his friends would probably be in college…Junpei, in college. Right. Minato laughed to himself, smiling warmly after.

"Yoooooo," Chie greeted when Minato arrived. Minato nodded in greeting, his shape-shifting personality formless for the moment. He took a moment to examine and judge Chie, before he held out a fist. She pounded it excitedly. "You seem lively today! We're going to be meeting Yukiko and Rise at the Special Headquarters to grab some pops before hand. What's up there that you need to go in so bad?"

Minato cocked his head back and grinned. Chie was full of energy, and she probably enjoyed showing it off. Seeing her fight had helped him peek into her mindset as she fought, and she was quite defensive. She liked to protect others. No; she liked to be needed, didn't she? It was okay. So he did. "Well, you see," he debated. "I need to see my…you all encountered your 'shadow' before getting your true Persona, right? Well…I'm going to go see my Shadow, more or less. If that's the way you'd put it. But I'm not strong enough to go in alone…I'm glad you're coming."

"Awww, really? I'm glad I am too. We may have caught the killer, but I still am totally up for training," Chie cheered, energized by his careful wording. "We won't have to fight your Shadow, will we?"

"I've gained control of my Shadow long ago. Well, mostly," Minato replied, shrugging, and together they started for Junes. They talked and as they neared Junes, Minato cracked Chie's shell.

She looked doubtful for a moment before glancing to Minato. "If I become too controlling, or something, Minato-kun, tell me, alright? I'm trying really hard to be protective of my friends…but not controlling. It's a thin line, you know?" Minato smiled lightly.

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Minato replied, gesturing with his hand as he spoke. "You care a lot for your friends…I think you know the boundary between dominating and protecting. Just do what comes naturally and don't forget….you don't have to do all of the protecting."

There was a smile from Chie, before she nodded confidently. Crack--Minato's mind echoed with a familiar voice, and he smiled. Chariot Arcana, huh? Yeah, he could see the familiarity there too. Kazushi…Minato wondered how his knee was for a moment, before he returned his focus to Chie and entered Junes with her.

They met up with Rise and Yukiko and drank a few pops together before they went to the electronics department. They entered the TV and greeted Teddie there.

"Oh, Teddie!" Rise greeted. "I didn't know you'd be here."

Teddie was in high spirits, and Minato was tempted to stick around and listen, but his instinct was pulling at his attention. He slid off while they spoke with each other, not really meaning to, and started to walk along despite his lack of glasses and the thick fog. He heard Yukiko and Rise call out for him to return, but Minato could _feel_ him…He was here, he was near…Where he was…?

"Minato-kun! Minato-kun, come back!" Chie called. Minato was deaf to her calls. He started to run, stumbling when he tripped over things he couldn't see. Soon, he came upon a familiar scene. The entrance was a bridge gate, and he stepped through without thought. Yukiko let out a yell, another attempt to regain his attention. But Minato was running, running through the fog and running through the darkness, feeling the breath of Shadows on his heels. It'd been a while since he'd had this kind of a rush!

He skidded to a stop, looking at the scene before him. A bridge, whose far side was obscured and the faint glow of a moon was mostly hidden. There, waiting with his back to a side of the bridge, was a gray-haired boy with a long, flowing golden scarf. The boy glanced over, and his eyes widened.

"Minato-kun, you idiot, get down!" he yelped. Minato blinked, only just coming to his senses, and turned. He received the full brunt of a swipe from a ball-chained tiger and he felt back, holding his bleeding arm with gritted teeth. Ryoji dove for his side, grabbing him and yanking him back. "A dungeon was created for you, Minato-kun, otherwise you'd never find me. But you idiot, you've attracted Shadows like bugs to fire!"

Minato pulled his Evoker out, trying to get to his feet.

"No!" Ryoji yelped again, taking his Evoker away. "You can't do that, you're not strong enough! How am I supposed to babysit you like this? Oh man, Elizabeth will kill me, and I don't want to get scorned by a hottie!" Minato gave Ryoji a look, one both of love and annoyance. It wasn't love in a sense of boyfriend/girlfriend, nor one really of sibling admiration. It was like loving a part of yourself.

Ryoji helped Minato move away from the tiger, and its now-appearing friends, and the two were on the defensive until the sounds of Chie's attacks, Teddie's ice and Yukiko's fire reached their ears. The two beat down the Shadows nearby and approached the boys, Rise appearing shortly after. Chie moved straight to Minato and held her hand up threateningly. Minato didn't cringe back, just stood there, too stunned to really say anything. Ryoji's eyes lit up.

"My, my, look at these wonderful young ladies," he said happily. "And this cute little bear! You're all too cute, I swear! Minato-kun, which one do you like the most?"

Minato rubbed at his bleeding arm, looking to Ryoji with a blank glare, then looked back to the girls (and Teddie) in front of him. "Er…They're all cute…?"

"You are not forgiven mister!" Chie snapped. "And who the hell is this?"

"Ryoji," Minato said plainly, as though it was completely obvious. "Death. I suppose you can call him my Shadow."

Ryoji bowed, moving back so Yukiko could heal Minato's arm. They were interested in Ryoji, though, and so she was distractedly watching him as she cast her spell. Ryoji smiled, embracing the attention, and he lunged, wrapping his arms affectionately around Teddie's head. "Awwwwwww, so soft! You're such a cute little bear." Teddie smiled, glowing happily.

"Finally! Appreciated for what I am!" he said happily. Minato thanked Yukiko when she was done, and she promptly turned to pay attention to Ryoji. Minato didn't mind. He just smiled warmly from the sidelines and crossed his arms sorely. Man, this place really took it out of you if you weren't in shape…

"Wow, you're really kind of cute," Rise commented, smiling. "I wish my Shadow was like you."

"I wasn't really his Shadow at first, but when I put into him, I took up half of his personality," Ryoji said warmly. "I lost my memory for a while after I left him, but then I regained it one day. My true form's kind of scary looking. So, what you're looking at is probably most of Minato's more honest feelings. And you are gorgeous; haven't I seen you somewhere?" he added to Rise, grinning, and Rise blushed.

"I used to be an idol--"

"You were on TV! You could really sing," Ryoji interrupted, beaming, and then he looked to the other two.

Chie put her hands on her hips. "What's your real form?"

Ryoji looked worried for a moment, and he looked to Minato, who shrugged. "I'll be alright. It shouldn't wear me out too much," Minato said simply, and Ryoji nodded. He stepped back from all of them, before he flashed brightly. In his place hovered Thanatos, and at his appearance, Minato buckled to a knee, panting. Damn it, Thanatos was strong. Just being around him burned Minato out fast. But Ryoji turned back quickly and smiled at the girls.

"You can use your corrupted form? This is the same as before, right?" Yukiko asked Minato, amazed. Minato nodded, standing with Teddie's help. Yukiko stared, impressed, before she turned back to Ryoji. To her surprise, Ryoji moved to Minato and hugged him gently.

Minato knew what this meant. "So soon?"

"I promised I'd be quick. Any longer and I might throw stuff off in the balance of things and stuff," Ryoji sighed, moving back. He bowed, before he turned to his friends. "Alrighty, good bye! Be good to Minato-kun, you hear me? And keep classy," he added, laughing, and then he was gone.

Minato watched where he had stood for a while longer, then smiled sadly. He apologized formerly to the girls and Teddie, and allowed them to guide him back to the entrance. Teddie, Chie, and Rise exited first, which left Minato along with Yukiko for a moment. Minato rubbed his sore arm, and Yukiko touched his shoulder gently. Minato glanced to her, surprised at the touch, and he took up a personality fast. He nodded, quiet and strong. He straightened, and he took her hand gently. The image of a prince.

"Thank you, again. I wish I can return the favor. I can take you somewhere, if you would like," he offered. "We can have lunch before I go home." Yukiko blushed, then she smiled, laughing a bit. Minato released her hand and they stepped through the TV. Together, they all hung out for a bit, until then Minato left with Yukiko.

As they walked through Samegawa, Minato considered how to reach her Social Link. But as they walked, his world began to spin. The next thing he knew…the ground was rushing up to meet him. Everything went dark.


	7. Owies

A/N: If you can't tell after this chapter, this fic is probably going to be Soji/Rise. Alright, it is. xD I see Soji much more monogamous than our polygamist (mine's bisexual as well) Minato, so I don't think he's going to be multitasking. xD Not that I don't like the other girls. I just chose Rise in my game... xD Alright, so enough about me. Loving your reviews, those are keeping me going strong. If any of you out there likes to draw fanart for fanfics...(-cough-spoilme-cough-) Here you go, enjoy!

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----Soji----

"Oh, hey."

Soji glanced over his shoulder, the hand holding Nanako's tightening a bit instinctively. Rise and Chie approached happily, and without bothering to give an update on Minato, they asked what they were doing here at Junes.

Nanako glowed, holding up a pink little T-shirt she'd picked out. "Big Bro is letting me buy some new clothes! Look, look! It's got flowers on it!" Chie happily moved over and went over what Nanako had picked out, commenting warmly and kindly on each. Soji released her hand and allowed her to disappear into the racks, but Rise soon took it herself. For a moment they said nothing, Soji unsure what to say, and he just let Rise swing his hand gently.

Sensing the question on the end of his tongue, Rise moved closer and pretending to be interested in the teddy-bear and pink alligator band aids on his hands and cheek. She didn't want to talk about it, or she was genuinely more interested in knowing why he looked like something out of a cartoon. Soji didn't press her, on the border between uncomfortable and content with her touches and closeness, and decided that if it had been anything urgent, she would have said something by now.

"She saw some of your 'boo-boos' didn't she," Rise said without a tone of questioning. She smiled affectionately and leaned up on her toes, pressing a little kiss on where his band-aid was on his cheek. Soji blushed, glancing about nervously, and Rise smiled. "Looks like she went overboard. That doesn't have a boo-boo under it at all."

"How kind of you to point that out," Soji mused, smirking. "I like the story about the pink alligator. I don't mind displaying that. However, she covered my calluses on my hands because she thought they looked like 'owies'. I don't want Teddie to see this false allegiance…"

Rise laughed, and she stole both of his hands, before remembering they were in public and letting them fall. She smiled nonetheless, as did Soji, and then she summarized the event with Minato. "We were about to head home, but Chie wanted to see if they had a new line of clothes yet. I thought you were too busy to come?"

Soji looked away, caught, and guiltily mumbled, "Nanako dragged me out early…and plus I didn't want to go back to the TV world…"

"Tch, you bum," Rise sighed. "I could still be sleeping in! Risette hardly ever slept in you know; I like taking advantage of that!" Soji laughed outright, not bothering to slip in a sarcastic remark. Rise pouted and turned her attention to the approaching Chie and Nanako. Nanako had two times the amount of shirts she had before.

"How am I supposed to afford that!?" Soji yelped, panicked. "I need to pick up stuff at the Old Man's later…!"

"Put it on Yosuke's account. I'm sure he won't mind," Chie said happily. Soji and Rise sweat dropped but didn't bother voicing rejections. They left to go checkout, and after that, they broke up to go home.

----Minato----

Minato sat up slowly, disoriented and dizzy, and he ran his hand through his hair. A lumpy protruded from his skull on his forehead, but it was hidden under his hair. Ouch. He didn't make a noise, despite how his head pounded, and he looked about wearily. The sky was smeared with the bright colors of sunset, throwing shades of red across the land. The grass was tinted orange and the water was glowing pink. Minato figured out he was at the riverbed part of the Samegawa plain, but it looked like he was alone.

Loneliness was a thing Minato did not like. It was the one thing he hated. He didn't like fighting Shadows, he didn't like seeing others hurt, and he didn't like lying. But he did not hate any of that. There was little he genuinely feared as well--loneliness, again, won the award for being the only thing he truly feared. He curled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and he chose to just admire the surrounding view. If it was darker, Thanatos would act up, and even though that made him ache and sore, it was better than being all alone. One time, back at Iwatodai, when he had split up a bunch of punks harassing a certain Disciplinary Committee Representative, Thanatos had stolen control and almost emerged in broad daylight and not in the Dark Hour. His friend had reported seeing a shadow looming over him. It wasn't unheard of; Chidori's Medea had done it before Thanatos had.

Chidori…Minato's mind followed that tangent. Strega--in the end, that hadn't really been evil or bad. They just believed strongly in each other and their views. After being hurt and used as they had, Minato didn't blame them for wanting to shut out the words of anyone else. Minato smiled weakly to himself, eyes shutting. They'd 'beaten' Strega that night they'd 'beaten' the Dark Hour, hadn't they? He remembered the picture they took…

Oh, his heart ached. His own vulnerabilities consumed him, for he had no one to give him strengths. All he was left with was what remained when Death had left him. Emptiness, insecurity, and fear, and Minato hated how it made his thoughts and heart hurt so badly.

But then he heard someone's footsteps and he looked up, and much to his surprise, it was Yukiko. She looked just as surprised as he did. "Oh thank god, you woke up," she breathed, sitting down beside him and holding a bottle of water and some aspirin. "You passed out and hit your head on a rock after you rolled down the bank. You're just so accident-prone! I waited and waited, but you weren't waking, so I went to go get something super quick."

Minato felt strength return in a rush and his watery eyes became blank once more. He straightened and let his legs stretch out, head raising up. "I am sorry I concerned you," he said simply, looking to her. "I should be the one watching after you, not the other way around. Chie would probably harm me in many ways if I weren't careful with you."

Yukiko blushed and smiled. "We're all supposed to watch over you, you know," she replied, not having much else to reply with. "It's a little late to go to Aiya or something…Soji might be mad if I don't get you home soon."

"Want to go for a walk?" Minato asked, taking the pills and drinking from the water quickly. He stood, and held his open hand out for Yukiko. Yukiko looked up, then laughed. "I feel better. Really. I won't collapse this time--I want to make it up for worrying you."

"Fine, fine," Yukiko said, taking his hand and standing. Together, they walked, with Minato touching on a story here and there about his adventures in the Dark Hour.

They were halfway back to the Dojima residence when Yukiko sighed. "You make it sound like you didn't do much, but I know you were probably working just as hard as the others," she said. "…I…I wish I had as much strength as you. I…I feel like I'm just running away from my problems…It's so easy to depend on someone else, to let my future be decided for me, but…"

"Do what you want to do," Minato said simply. "It's also good to count on others. Don't shoulder the world yourself, and don't isolate yourself. It's good to stand on your own two feet, but know when you need a lift up from someone." Minato smiled, and she looked at him, confused and unsure if she believed what he said.

Minato gestured with his hand conversationally. "Be who you are. If you don't want to be what's expected of you, don't be. You don't need to have someone take you away from here to do that. It takes strength and confidence…and I know you don't lack that, Yukiko."

Yukiko looked away, contemplating his words. They were quiet until they reached the Dojima residence, and there, Yukiko gave him a kind smile. "You are a good boy, Minato-kun. Thanks." Minato felt their connection, and he smirked to himself. Priestess…He should have seen that coming. He bade Yukiko good night, and entered the house.

----Soji----

Looking up from his ramen as the door opened, he saw from the corner of his eye Nanako look up with such a happiness that he himself smiled, but then he noticed the disappointment in her eyes when she saw that it was Minato who had come home and not her father. Soji reached over and touched her hand, then jerked his head at Minato in recognition. Minato nodded and sat down next to Nanako, apologizing for not being Dojima.

"Aw, it's okay, Mina-kun," she said simply. "I made you some ramen too. Oh my gosh!" Both boys jumped when she yelled out like that. She stared at Minato's red-stained sleeve and the slashes through it, and Soji panicked. He thought wildly for a moment before finding an excuse. Weak, but it should work…

"Minato, you have to be careful of Teddie's claws," Soji scolded. "His outfit is dangerous if you're not careful! Look, Nanako-chan, he doesn't even have hardly any marks under his clothes. It must've just bled a lot." Minato nodded frantically, pulling his sleeve back to show her. Nanako peeled the band-aids on Soji's hands off and stuck them on the thin, shallow claw lines on Minato's arm. Minato shot a fast look of gratitude Soji's way, which Soji decided to not respond to.

They shared dinner together, summarizing their days together. Minato talked about meeting the girls and hanging out with them at Junes, and Soji let Nanako talk about the clothes she had gotten there. When dinner was done, the boys sent Nanako off to bed, and then Soji trudged upstairs with Minato to his room. There, they sat up on the couch and watched the news and weather tiredly.

"Do you mind if I build my Social Links with your friends, Soji-kun?" Minato finally asked, shocking Soji out of his half-asleep state. He glanced about a moment, groggy, then blinked to Minato.

"Nnngh? Er….yeah, um, sure. I mean, no--I don't mind," Soji muttered. He stood, moving to go set up his futon. "Whatever makes you happy. Just don't get too friendly with them. Especially my Rise." Soji pawed at his eyes, his body feeling sluggish, and he blamed his exhaustion partially on being around Minato. Minato kept asking questions, and Soji's brain was too tired to really respond, but he replied to each of them anyway. It wouldn't be until later that Soji figured out Minato used his grogginess to an advantage.

"Why Rise, over the other two, Soji-kun?"

"She's…cute and sweet…and I like to see her smile…"

"Do you like Chie?"

"Y-Yeah…Of course…She's strong, and I like it when she looks to me like she likes what I think…Likes my opinions, anyway…"

"What about Yukiko?"

"She's gorgeous…She can't cook, but…yet I try her food anyway, hoping she'll want to need me…"

Soji laid down, and though he was curling up and ready for bed, Minato continued to badger him. Soji didn't mind. There wasn't a lot of people he could speak this honestly to without worrying about whose ears it'd reach.

"Is there anyone else you like?"

Soji was quiet a moment, before he muttered something, then sighed. "…I like the attention…I get at my job…"

"From who?"

"This…nurse. She comes onto me…freaks me the hell out, but I almost like the bad feeling it gives me…"

Minato was quiet, then there was an element of joy in his voice. "Devil Arcanum, right?"

"Of course."

"I know that feeling well too," Minato mumbled. "Tanaka…bastard…" Soji glanced over sleepily. Tanaka? As in…the one on TV every Sunday? What did that mean? 'Bastard'…? Minato was smiling darkly, and it was a very scary smile. Soji decided to just lay back down. Whatever. Bedtime. Soji lost himself to sleep, which was for the best, because Minato was drifting off to sleep as well, but Soji swore he heard funny little noises from him as he slipped off into dreamland.

Soji stirred a little bit later, not completely, but just enough to find Minato sleeping on the floor beside him. It was easy to tell the boy had been crying, his cheeks pink with stains, and Soji worriedly sat up a little to see if Minato was awake. Nope, the kid was out like a light. He must've…got a bit too lost in his own memories, got upset, then crawled over for comfort. Soji laid back down, but slid his blanket over the other. He smiled to himself, watching Minato loosen up in his sleep, then fell back asleep himself.

Minato was a soft kid. Maybe he was only working off of Soji's personality, but Soji didn't care. He wanted to give him what comfort he could during his stay. If Minato protected his friends and the rest of the world from his Nyx monster, than Soji wanted to give that kid everything he could. Of course, so long as he didn't annoy Soji too much.


	8. Port Island

A/N: Hmmm. I don't really have much else to say this time besides I love all my reviewers and readers and your imput really means a bunch. Also, I hope I don't make Minato sound too emo in this first bit T.T''

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---Minato---

The days began to go faster once he felt more settled. Though he felt bad for leaving Nanako home alone, sometimes he'd leave not long after Soji had to go out in search of something to do. The country wasn't boring, and that wasn't his problem. It was the lack of people and business that distracted him from his everyday life. He was a lonely creature, but when he was back in Iwatodai, there was always people, there was always someone nearby, there was always strangers and so he was never all alone. Here in Inaba, there were people and it wasn't completely lonesome, but there weren't the same amount. It was a difference that rubbed at him badly.

But it wasn't so bad when he could find one of Soji's friends and hang out with one of them. Teddie was always at Junes and he was fun to talk with. It was easy to start up a Social Link with him, and his Arcanum of the Star made Minato quite curious. Star? He supposed it made sense. He was fun to hang with anyway, and Minato would laugh when Yosuke came out to harass him for one thing or another. Laughing was always releasing. It was easy to laugh around Teddie especially. Teddie liked fun, bubbly people, and he liked to talk about girls too, so Minato could suit him easily.

Kanji was a real softie under his tough-guy personality. They next time the two of them met up, Kanji had with him a plastic bag. Minato followed him to the picnic table at Samegawa and sat across from him attentively when Kanji showed him how to knit and sew small animals. The way he spoke about his art was so full of passion, it left Minato feeling more pathetic than usual. The last time he had felt so strongly about something was back at Iwatodai…When he fought, he became another person. He bore his axe proudly and destroyed his enemies, not even blinking when he was streaked with blood and gore.

Mindful of Soji's words, he was careful about what he said to Rise. Minato hung out with her once or twice, and much to her credit, she seemed to stop their relationship at the second rank. She trusted Minato, and he could see that, but she also closed up and would just talk about Soji. Minato smiled to himself. Soji meant a lot to his friends. He was their powerful figure, their leader, and for a single, strangling moment, he was drowning in his despair. He wasn't a leader anymore. He was one of the friends. He wasn't the top dog, he wasn't needed. SEES may not have needed him, but they wanted him. He was just a person who needed to be babysat here.

Yet, Minato kept this to himself. It gave him something to latch onto when there was little else to work on. The summer moved by fast, especially when his days were soon filled up with helping at Junes with Soji, Chie and Yosuke, and helping Soji and Nanako with their homework. When they returned to school, Minato sat at the house and watched TV or did some of Soji's work for him. It was scary. It wasn't fun. But he just would look to the calendar and remember Soji's school trip…Just a few more days until they went to Port Island…

It was the night before the trip that Minato spoke up. Soji was packing, his mind obviously far away and not here, but Minato didn't care. "…Can I come too?" he asked quietly.

"Hm? No," Soji replied absently. "We're just going to some fancy private school."

"I know. Can I please come?"

Soji glanced over irritably. "What's it to you? It's just some school, Minato. You that desperate to learn?"

"I used to go there," Minato voiced up and Soji stopped, shame washing over his face.

"Oh…Oh. Why didn't you say anything? Sorry. I….er…I don't know how to sneak you with us, but…Why don't you jut come to Yasogami with us, and we'll see what happens from there. Want me to pack some of your stuff in mine?" Soji's attitude did a one-eighty and Minato felt strangely pleased at seeing him so guilty. It was that negative connection between them and he felt bad for it later, but it was almost fun to flaunt his power to Soji. He'd purposely build Social Links with Nanako and Dojima in front of Soji just to watch Soji's jaw clench and his eyes move away. Minato knew Soji was unusually short with him on the flipside, so their bad attitudes to each other evened off.

They usually made up for their actions later.

Minato laid down on the couch, shutting his eyes. "Thanks. I need to see…"

"I know," Soji said quietly. "Get some rest. Sorry I was so blunt."

Minato smiled lightly, and was asleep within minutes.

It was too easy. Nashiwagi fell in love with Minato at first sight, and Minato chose to play along, being exactly what she wanted out of a teenage admirer. She eagerly shipped him along with the rest of her class, all-too-happy about having him come along. Soji rolled his eyes, smirking devilishly and Minato just nudged him obnoxiously. The trip wasn't too long, and as they traveled along, Minato's anticipation grew stronger. When he began to recognize things, his eyes lit up with life he usually kept hidden away, and Soji glanced over to him thoughtfully. Minato ignored him.

Iwatodai--he began to recognize homes and apartments and dorms and his heart began to pump. When they switched to ride the monorail to Port Island, Minato was staring out the window like an eager dog. But as Gekkoukan became closer, his mind began to flicker between memories. He could see Tartarus standing where Gekkoukan had, then things would switch back and he'd see the school again. It made him tired and drowsy, and Soji kindly nudged him to try and get him out of his trance. Minato jerked out of it, then turned away from the school, trying to catch up with himself.

Minato listened to his music and walked slowly with the other students as they approached the front gates, but despite his calm and collected look, he was like an excited child inside. He was barely able to contain himself when he saw a familiar face, but instead he stepped behind Soji and used the other's height as a way to hide. When the staff broke up and the students gathered to speak, Minato stayed with Soji's group, but he kept an eye on Chihiro the entire time.

Then she approached. And Minato stepped into view. They exchanged looks, and then Chihiro rubbed at her eyes impatiently, like what she was seeing wasn't there. But Minato stepped closer to her, and she watched him.

Then she lunged and curled her arms around him, her breath catching. Soji's crew turned to look as Minato hugged her back.

"M-Minato-kun! It's…You're…But…Weren't you…?"

"I'm here now," Minato said simply, smiling to fit her image. It was an old role he felt so comfortable slipping into. "You've grown and changed. I'm proud of you."

"Oh my god…You're not dead…" Chihiro whimpered. "I'm so happy. Why're you with the Yasogami kids?" Minato didn't reply to that, just enjoyed the familiarity of this place, of this smell, of this girl…

_The one who approaches you will lead you to the others._

"Chihiro, can you contact Mitsuru-senpai?" Minato asked quietly, moving back. Chihiro wiped at her eyes feebly. The girl nodded eagerly.

"I-I can. Of course. I'll call her write now--she likes to get calls from me, even when she's busy, but then…I've...I've got a job to do, so…"

Minato nodded and watched as Chihiro drew out her phone and called Mitsuru, and inside, he had never been happy. Chihiro talked a moment, then held out the phone for Minato. Minato blinked in surprise, and took it, answering quietly. There was a moment, before he heard Mitsuru sigh on the other end.

"_I wouldn't think Chihiro to be that kind of a joker…I'm disappointed. Saying that Arisato was alive…_"

"Mitsuru…" Minato said gently. "I don't think Chihiro would lie to someone who she admires so. Have all of those times in Tartarus lost their glow?" Minato heard the phone drop for a minute, then a hiss, and then Mitsuru's voice again. They talked for a bit, and then Minato made arrangements to see her later tonight at the old Dorm. She said she'd arrange who she could to come as well. Minato gave Chihiro's phone back to her, turned to Soji, and the other smiled at him.

Soji patted his head, and Minato took that as a 'see you later' dismissal. Minato took off to go visit familiar haunts. His heart pumped and raced and he had never felt this alive since he had fought Nyx…

-----Soji-----

Rise took his hand, and Soji glanced over. "He used to go here?" she asked warmly. Soji nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen him like that. You think he's really kind of sad inside, back in Inaba?"

"I don't know what to think of him, to be honest," Soji said plainly. "I just hope his day will be more fun than ours. You better get going, Kanji-kun and Naoto-kun will leave you behind. They won't save seats for you long." Rise panicked and darted after them, and Soji fell back with his other friends as they trooped wearily toward the school. He shot a glance over his shoulder as he watched Minato disappear beyond the school gates, and he smiled again. "You better damn well have a better day than me, punk."


	9. Home Again

A/N: Whoo. It's getting harder to keep up this pace. T.T'' I'm in school again now, so chapters will be coming slower, but I hope I won't lose interest in this. I don't think I will, now that I've reached the good part. ^^ Anyway, loving those reviews, your attention's keeping me going. Keep at it! ALSO. I haven't finished any of the girls' social links besides Yukari. Yeah, I know. I'm just bluffing. Here you go; Home

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----Soji----

"Dude, c'mon, let's just bail," Yosuke whined, mussing up his hair. "It's hot and uncomfortable and I'm learning and that teacher was scary and I'm going to cry." They were sitting on the roof of Gekkoukan High, eating lunch with most of the rest of their peers. Soji ate his instant ramen dully, watching Iwatodai with little interest. Where was Minato now? Hopefully, he was getting a kick out of being home, instead of being more miserable. He got the feeling that Minato wasn't nearly as blank as he seemed all the time. There was no way a kid that smart could think about nothing as often as he looked like he did.

There was a slug in his shoulder that turned his head abruptly. Soji hissed, grabbing his shoulder. "What, dammit?" he grunted, and Kanji looked away.

"It was Yosuke. He wanted to know something," he blamed instinctively.

"What!? Don't you pass it off on me," the accused whined. Soji sighed, rolling his eyes, and returned to his meal. Chie got into the argument, and soon, it was a shout-fest between Yosuke and Chie for reasons beyond Soji. They always ended up being the only two yelling by the end of anything. It was generally good-natured, so there was no reason to try and break it up. You'd just get yelled at yourself. Soji glanced to his side, surprised that Rise wasn't there but in her place was Yukiko. Oh--Rise was off 'entertaining' some needy fan boys. She did that when she got bored. Soji didn't mind. She had accepted herself as both 'Rise' and 'Risette' and she was treating both sides when she played 'idol' with people.

Yukiko flustered under Soji's eyes, and she squirmed, which reminded Soji it wasn't polite to stare. He looked away, but his face was still in her direction. There were words on the tip of his tongue, but the urge to begin a conversation was harbored down by his curiosity for how Minato was doing. He opened his mouth and closed it a time or two before she noticed how much he was struggling and smiled.

"You're worrying about him, aren't you?"

"What if his friends don't come?" Soji finally blurted. "He came all this way, and I saw how excited he was, and what if the friend he talked to didn't believe him? I mean…he was in a…" He tried to remember his story, then continued. "Coma, right? They thought he wasn't going to wake up. What if his friends don't live anywhere near here, and they can't get here by the time they're supposed to?"

The others glanced over from their argument. It wasn't too often Soji spoke this much, this honestly. He usually reserved himself to short snipes or brief descriptions. Rise came over as well, feeling much more relaxed after playing her game with the fan boys. She plopped down on the ground in front of Soji's legs and leaned against them, not at all shy about her relationship with him in front of the others. Soji took a moment to eat from his ramen, then he looked up again, watching them watch him.

Chie looked a little sad. "Oh, Soji-kun, don't think like that. I'm sure one of his friends will be there. You're making me depressed talking like this."

Soji looked down. "Sorry." When he said no more, Kanji nudged him playfully. Yosuke jumped on the bandwagon.

"So what about my idea to bail, huh? Let's just ditch. Seriously, I mean, what's Kashiwagi going to do to us?"

There was a moment of grim imaginings, and then they laughed cautiously. The problem was, they didn't doubt any of their thoughts. They looked down darkly when their good humor dried up.

The rest of the day was not going to be fun.

----Minato---

The sun was beginning to fall by the time Minato started to wind through familiar territory. His head was raised, his eyes were watching the tops of the buildings, and he remembered many an afternoon when he wandered this way just as lazily, just as comfortably, and just as excitedly. There was no denying how his heart beat at the thought of seeing his friends again. After watching Soji and his friends, and after getting to know his friends, all he found was an emptiness he sought to fill with his own friends. Maybe he would not see all of them--most of his friends were now in college and were probably busy. If he just saw one of them…he'd be happy.

Hell, seeing Chihiro had made him so happy. She'd grown, if only a bit. He'd been gone for, what, a year? Two? He couldn't remember the date. Either way, he'd been gone long enough for people to change, if only subtly. A proud little side to him reminded him that a lot of people he knew made changes because of him. Chihiro was so strong now…It was amazing, comparing her to the girl she used to be. Minato was happy for her.

Minato settled on the stoop of their old Dormitory. He had no idea if anyone lived in there now. He didn't think so, and he was almost feeling too shy to knock and find out. However, it was humid and sticky outside despite the approaching night, and he lifted himself. He knocked, quite sheepishly, and he was nearly blown away when he saw who answered.

It was a boy who looked to be in the beginning stages of adolescence. There was awkwardness to just about every part of him, his hair was a messy mop about his face, and he looked as though he was still adjusting to his growing height by the way he held himself. Minato stared at him, forgetting his manners, and the kid stared back. The boy had to be at least a sixth grader, if not a seventh grader.

"…She…wasn't kidding…" the kid said slowly, his hand falling from the door knob. "She wasn't kidding. S-She wasn't kidding, holy cow! A-Aigis! Koromaru! It's--it's--!!" The kid said no more, just threw himself onto Minato and curled his arms around tight. Minato flinched, but then looked down and smiled in a very parental kind of way.

"Ken-kun," he cooed gently. "You're getting so big. And look your hair, Haha…" He laughed gently, and Ken just squeezed tighter.

Aigis moved to the door, curious about the commotion, but when she caught sight of that blue hair, Minato found himself being crushed to death even further. He grunted, but neither of them even bothered to move back. Aigis' head was buried in the crook of his neck, Ken's face was plastered against his chest, and then Minato felt Koromaru's wet little nose against his ankle, followed by intense licking on his loose hand.

"I'm going to pass out," Minato reminded weakly. They all loosened up and allowed him to enter the house. Minato shut the door behind him and looked to the three. Ken had crossed his arms, watching him with watery eyes, and he looked away when Minato glanced specifically to him. Koromaru was wagging his tail and barking and prancing about excitedly. Aigis…Minato looked to her and smiled gently.

"…I'll explain things later, if others arrive," Minato said simply. Ken and Aigis nodded, and then an interesting silence fell over them. Minato wasn't sure what to say, and they weren't sure what to ask. Aigis finally broke the ice by reporting what had happened.

"Earlier today, Mitsuru called us and today us that you were in the area," she said basically. "She said that you would be coming here by the evening, and that we should greet you and be your hosts if no one else could make it in time. Most of the others have left for university. None of them really wished to remain here in Iwatodai, but I stayed to keep Ken-kun and Koromaru-chan company."

Ken nodded weakly. "I'm the only one who's still in school around here, so…" He was quiet a moment, then he wiped at his eyes. "I can't believe you. You're making me cry. I'm too old to cry."

"Ken-kun, would you go and contact Mitsuru?" Minato asked quietly. "Let her know I'm not just a joke." Ken nodded and obediently went to go call Mitsuru. Aigis and Minato moved to the dining table, and for a long moment, they simply watched each other, sizing each other up, and then Minato moved forward with his head bowed. Aigis rubbed his head gently, her other hand moving to lift his chin.

She smiled sadly, her eyes brimming with tears. "You haven't aged a day…" Minato nodded and let her curl her arms around him. Minato took notice of how…human she was. When he had last left her, she was well on her way of being human. He swore he'd seen her cry. But her motions were fluid and her voice had fluctuation…His arms moved and he pressed himself tighter to her. "I missed you so much, Minato-kun." Minato gripped at her shirt and nodded like a little boy, too choked up with his sadness--or was it happiness? He couldn't tell--to respond to her evenly.

Minato took care of his friends back then. He was in charge, he was thoughtful to their well-being, and he did his best to keep them safe and sane. He cared for his friends more than he cared for himself. Aigis…she took care of him for him, and remembering how it made him feel made his throat tighten. His last few minutes in a physical body…he recalled being near her, with his head in her lap, as he began to fade away. His soul couldn't maintain the body when it was building keeping Nyx in check and Aigis was there with him while he succumbed to his weakness. His memories of her were strongest--but this did not mean he only had feelings for her.

Minato moved back, sitting in a chair as Ken came back over.

"She said that she and Sensei will be coming by soon. They're driving here and she said that if traffic's good, they should be here before…well…the Dark Hour," Ken explained and Minato looked up, a tad alarmed. Ken grinned. "C'mon, senpai, I'm just kidding. The Dark Hour's gone. The Shadows are gone." Minato chose to not mention Inaba's problems with Shadows. It was for the best.

Minato cocked his head curiously. "Sensei? Who's your sensei?"

Ken flustered. "Oh. Er. Akihiko-kun. On weekends he comes back to give me lessons in boxing. Didja know he's become professional? Got a scholarship for it--not that he really needed it, did you hear? Mitsuru's his squeeze."

Minato's eyes dulled for a minute as his mind shot through memories. Dates at Paulownia Mall, time spent at the Wild Duck Burger, the time he had dragged her into the arcade and won her a Jack Frost doll…He'd made her smile and laugh without regard for her location and whereabouts and he remembered loving every time her fingers brushed against his. She was a brilliant kisser, even if she wasn't very experienced due to being quite the Ice Queen…

Coming back into focus when he managed to pull away his memories, he smirked playfully at Ken and raised an eyebrow. "Really now? I was wondering when he'd get the courage to ask her out. And he's gotten a scholarship…Well, after fighting as hard as he had, he was bound to become stronger than your average boxer. I'm…glad." Minato looked down. He had missed crucial moments of his friends' lives. And…he was going to continue on missing out on their lives. He'd be going home with Soji and his school after the trip was over…And then when he got better, he'd be leaving everyone. He'd be alone again…But at least he'd be in a state where he could not feel loneliness.

"Minato-kun," Aigis said gently. "Would you mind if I examined you? I mean, if I looked you over? I wish to see how you are doing physically." Ken turned pink and Minato figured he was at the right age to start seeing everything as perverted, so he simply let the other look away and snicker to himself. Poor Aigis, being stuck with this kid. Minato smiled. It was nice to see that they got along well. He stood from the chair and he let Aigis begin to check him over. It was a 'turn your head and cough' kind of experience, and when Aigis was done, she was about to state her analysis when there was knocking at the door.

"Ken-kun! So great to see you! Look at you, your acne's blossoming! The advantage of being a cool uni kid…" the obnoxiously loud voice echoed through the room as Ken opened the door, allowed admittance to a certain Junpei Iori. Behind him was Yukari Takeba and Fuuka Yamagishi, annoyed with their companion by their less-than-enthusiastic expressions. Junpei glanced about, but due to the divider to the dining table, did not see Minato on his first glance. "Soooo Ken-kun…I hauled ass from my dorm with Yuka-tan and Fuuka-chan because…of a joke, right? Hey, I'm not against seeing you. Just don't kid about…him."

Ken shook his head. "If I wanted to invite you over, Junpei-kun, then I'd just said I'd gotten a hot maid to work here. Not that you're not hot, Aigis! Er. For a robot. I guess? No, anyway, Junpei-kun, look there."

"Ken, seriously, it's not funny," Yukari said irritably. "At all. There's a reason I left Iwatodai."

Minato moved out sheepishly, almost shyly from behind the barrier with Aigis. She had a gentle hand on his back pushing him on, and he moved out to where they could see him in full. Being around this many people, whose number jumped from three to six, gave him the strength of his old leadership role. He still slouched and he felt younger than he was compared to their more matured looks, but he was still Minato and he was still their old leader.

And damn, did it feel good to see them stare.


	10. Maturity

A/N: Aww, sorry this took so long. It's longer than usual as payment! :3 Also, note; What I say about their relationships, just go with it. May not have happened in the game, FES or regular, but I haven't finished up their and so I don't know. I like to bluff. :3 But there's some love for everybody for you all :3

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Minato felt himself crushed under the arms of the two girls. Minato let the occasional stray of perverted thought catch him off guard at the feeling of how their boobs were pressing against him. Junpei snorted at the glance of his cat-smile, pretending to be aloof, but Minato could see from under the limps and between the bodies of Yukari and Fuuka that his lips were tugged into little smiles. They, like Ken, had grown as well. It wasn't so much in looks as it was in how they held themselves and the maturity in their bodies. _Yukari and Fuuka have matured well in certain spots, fufufufu_ he thought to himself, but was roused from his warm thoughts when he heard the girls crying.

"You were dead!" Yukari hissed, moving back and clenching her fists angrily. "What the hell are doing here again? Huh? Don't you have ANY IDEA what you've put us through? You idiot! You..You I-I…" She hiccupped and lost herself to her sobs, and while Minato as smooth and good at comforting people, that didn't make him any more comfortable with her crying. Fuuka was just crying to herself, smiling gently. Yukari liked dramatics more anyway. Junpei was content with standing back as well.

"Yukari," Minato said lowly, moving to her. He gently took her hands and kissed her cheek. He didn't dare kiss her lips, not from the glance Junpei shot him. Had…Yukari…moved on too…? He didn't think she'd go to Junpei, but then again, playful friends like they had a higher chance of pairing up than not, he believed. Minato said nothing on it and just returned to consoling. Despite this, memories of talking about the girl's mother with her, about consoling her about her father, about learning more together overcame him. He then moved to Fuuka and kissed her cheek as well, and from the same look Junpei gave him, he wondered what he meant. Did they have boyfriends? But they weren't him, and he was just watching over them…? Or…?

Oh. Minato moved to him too, smiling gently and giving him a blunt raise of the eyebrow. Junpei flustered, then looked away sheepishly. "Jeeeez. You know how to make a guy uncomfortable. You're the only guy I know in the world who can make me squirm just by lookin' at me or…"

Minato shut him up by kissing his cheek too, then returned to the girls. Junpei blushed furiously and mumbled something about having a girlfriend and was not gay. Considering Minato's naivety about relationships and monogamy (or lack thereof) and sexuality, that didn't matter, because just about everyone had been with Minato one way or another. Minato loved everyone, and loved them as they wanted him to. Friends, lovers, siblings, parental figures--he was anything you wanted him to be.

Yukari was still crying, but she was calming down to a point where she was getting a grip on herself. Fuuka held out her hands and Minato took them gently, giving her a kind and protective smile. "You look well, Fuuka. I'm so happy to see how strong you look." Warm thoughts of cooking experiments and talking filled his head. She had always been so kind, and Minato had loved seeing her come out of her shy shell as they grew closer.

"I will go make some tea," Aigis said and Fuuka eagerly pulled away to go help. Minato didn't really want to be left alone with Yukari and Junpei, not really knowing what to do around those two anymore, but a least Ken and Koromaru were nearby. They sat down at the dining table and talked small talk, with Minato doing most of the listening and Yukari doing most of the talking. Junpei would interrupt now and them with his own little snipes.

After his death, and after some events Yukari brushed over and Minato didn't quite catch (some drama and such with other girls and stuff) most of them had finished schooling at Gekkoukan and were moving on to college. None of them had really wanted to stay around, and not just because of their feelings of loss after Minato was gone, but because their lives had almost turned dull without the Shadows. Junpei, Fuuka, and Yukari went to the same college, but whether it was by coincidence or an unspoken desire for connection to their past neither would admit. Minato didn't think it was the former. Some of his old social link buddies had gone to the same place as well, such as Yuko, and Kenji. Apparently, Keisuke, Hidetoshi, and Kazushi had gone to the same college as Akihiko and Mitsuru. Their uni was for students most likely to succeed and had firm plans with what they wished to do. Junpei had scoffed and mumbled something about Kazushi that made Minato smile. It was nice to hear the playful, underhanded quips that he used to hear all the time when traveling in his favorite pack of friends.

From there, Yukari had met a nice boy who sounded like nothing more than a boy similar, but not quite the same as the image Minato put up for Yukari. Supportive, helpful, and alright with just laying around and watching chick flicks--that was what Minato showed Yukari when alone with her. He didn't have to speak up too much for her. Fuuka had a nice job at a local, on-campus café to bring in some yen here and there and she got to flaunt her much-improved cooking quite proudly. She'd gotten a nice boyfriend, but again Minato thought that the description sounded too much like how he acted for her to be safe. Kind, strong, and outgoing to try and build an extraverted personality in her was how Minato had acted for her.

Junpei had gone through a fair few of girlfriends, but he'd developed something of a picky taste and had dumped most of them.

Minato took this moment to look them over and see their physical changes over their personality growths. Junpei still had that punk look to him, but his hair had grown out a bit more and he had lost the hat. His goatee had grown into the kind of beard/mustache combination that had a pleasant trimmed thin and bohemian look to it. The strength he had acquired during his training in Tartarus had developed more smoothly and away from an awkward, lanky look into something stronger and more adult. His ears were pierced, which was interesting, and Minato told him as much. Junpei grinned.

"I like it, don't you? It's 'edgy'. Chicks dig piercings, dude. It's a proven fact! Got laid the night after I got these babies. Captured balls are hot shit," Junpei said brightly. "You'd look great in a pair, you know."

"Uck," Yukari sighed, rolling her eyes. Minato smiled and blushed. It was so familiar…Watching Chie and Yosuke fight wasn't quite the same as watching Junpei and Yukari snort and scoff and tease each other. Minato turned his attention then to Yukari. Her hair was longer, but she had it back in an uncontrolled ponytail for the most part, her bangs escaping the hair tie and sideways across her forehead. Her curves were fuller, and though she hadn't grown much in height, she had the perfect look for the girl next door. Her make-up was subtle but suited her well. She hadn't changed too much, but she still felt too old for him. They both felt like senpai, when they were the same age.

Aigis and Fuuka brought in the tea and Ken eagerly took the break in the conversation to finally ask the burning question.

"Minato-kun, how are you even here?" he blurted. All eyes turned to him curiously and Minato looked away. Not wanting to explain everything before Mitsuru and Akihiko had the chance to get here, he gave the short, cheating answer.

"I came with the students of Yasogami High. They are here to see Gekkoukan and just have a nice school trip at Port Island. I've been staying with a Persona-user like myself named Soji Seta." They all tensed at the use of the word 'Persona-user' and Minato realized his folly. They all thought the Shadows were gone and that Personae had faded along with them and the Dark Hour. They had no idea about the Midnight Channel or the events in Inaba. He quickly tried to find a way to explain without explaining. After a few moments, he came up with nothing, and he fell quiet. They stared at him, but Fuuka noticed how this was making him uncomfortable and she changed topics to something else.

While they discussed idle things like classes and general observations about life, Minato examined Fuuka. Her hair was longer and it was in a braid that rested peacefully on her shoulder. Everything about her was subtle but it was subtle in a very gorgeous way. Her make up wasn't plain, but it wasn't obvious, and while she dressed in a simple skirt and pretty top, the rings and bracelets and her necklace were far from ornate but still defined themselves in a very aesthetic and pleasant way. She wasn't quite as curvy as Yukari, but she wasn't flat, either. She wasn't very tall, but she was still quite attractive and gentle looking. Minato felt a fever of sadness building in his brain at how he had missed watching them grow up…and how he hadn't grown up with them.

He still was a high-school kid. He hadn't aged at all. The only difference now was that he wore a white shirt that had 'Junes' written on the sleeve and black jeans. But he used to always where black and white, so he doubted they'd notice. They didn't; but they did notice his paler-than-usual skin and drained actions. They did notice he did not look like the healthiest boy in the world.

----Soji----

Soji stood outside, watching Teddie with a cocked eyebrow and a wry smirk. "I have a favor to ask you, and if you do what you can, I'll tell you a secret about Rise." Teddie's eyes grew wide and then he blushed, practically squirming with delight.

"W-What's the job, Sensei!? I'll do anything!"

"How good is your nose in our world?"

Teddie considered this a moment, before he shrugged. "I am not sure. I look like you guys, but I can still smell some stuff. Not very well. Not as well as in my world, and even then…" He sighed, looking dark for a moment, before he noticed how Soji looked over his shoulder and down the allies absently. "I think I know what you want. I can't be exact, but I might be able to point you in the general direction. Is that okay, Sensei?"

Soji nodded, and after a few minutes of concentration, Teddie pointed him in a direction and Soji nodded again. He started to walk, forgetting all about the secret he was supposed to share with Teddie. Teddie yelled after him, grumpy from being betrayed, but Soji ignored him. He had much more important things to do. If Minato was alone…If he was waiting there, by himself, as the night got a summer chill, all alone…Soji didn't know how well Minato handled the dark, let alone being alone. When he got down to it, he didn't know that much about the other at all.

Not that Minato was a fountain of information, but the point remained that Soji didn't ask very much. Soji followed Teddie's vague descriptions for a while, but as he drew near the Port Island station, he drew closer to the darker allies. Soji was taller and stronger than Minato, but he still looked like a clueless tourist and student, and he was too drawn into his thoughts to notice as the punks watched like raptors to carrion.

Once he realized he was nowhere near anywhere, he turned around, figuring that if he just returned to the Station and got directions to where students to Gekkoukan lived (He had gathered Minato used to live in a Dorm from previous conversations and just general deductions) he'd be fine. But there stood a handful of tall, shady looking young men armed with the most gruesome of street armaments who blocked his way. Soji's eyes narrowed and he jerked his head up confidently, but his mind was wheeling. He turned part-way, knowing better than to turn his back to a bunch of muggers, and found that some smoke-huffing, skanky women blocked his other path.

"You look like you're a little lost, kiddo," the most bancho-looking of them sneered, spinning his pipe between his fingers like a baton. "You're a Gekkoukan shit, ain't cha? A rich kid, I'm sure. You don't look bright enough to be in on a scholarship, am I right?" His pack snorted and snickered with chuckles and nasty laughs. Soji squared, his fists tightening carefully. He said nothing.

"Let us have your wallet, kid, and you walk away unscathed," the leader said simply. "As payment for wandering into our turf."

It was going to turn nasty fast. Soji was strong, but he wasn't strong enough to take on a handful of punks with pipes, wrenches and brass knuckles. He raised his fists, but Soji wasn't a fist-fighter. The leader and his pack moved in and Soji didn't want to shift back, but he moved back anyway, teeth clenching. They were cornering him so he couldn't move away from the imminent beating. This wasn't good, wasn't good, this wasn't good…Soji found his back against a wall. He didn't break eye contact, even when the pack had him nice and surrounded. He bit his lip, his mind trying to think but, _god dammit all I can only think about Minato that idiot this is his fault no it's not oh man this is going to smart tomorrow please don't hurt me too bad I still need to find Minato and if I just break a rib or two that's fine don't knock me out besides I've got too much pride to back down to you and your gang I'll take the beating just bring it on._

Soji threw up his arms and glared between them as the pipe was raised and the punks let out hoots and hollers. All Soji could think about was Minato and how he was supposed to get to him with broken body parts when he felt adrenaline scream through his brain. _Thou art I I art thou CLEAVE_

Soji moved without thought and swung his fist, slamming into the guy's jaw. _CLEAVE!_ He leapt back as a wrench swung at his skull and he took advantage of that training with Chie by deftly swinging up his leg and kicking the guy in the head. Pain was numbed and he hardly noticed when a guy slugged him in the side with the knuckles. The crack it made when it happened was what had gathered his attention. Soji was outnumbered and there was no way he could win, but his rush had taken them by surprise. Now that they had gathered themselves from their stupor, Soji knew the inevitable was coming. So he went on the defensive and just started to guard. _RAKUNDA!_

By the time it was over, Soji picked himself up slowly from the pavement, his ribs aching and his arm throbbing painfully. They'd taken his wallet, but he kept nothing but a few hundred yen in there. He kept everything else in his bag back at the hotel, besides his phone. He waited until he was able to stand up to take account of everything. Nothing felt broken, but he wasn't too sure. His face had escaped some beating, but a nice bruise was rising up on his cheek. Damn it.

Wait. His phone. His mind reeled back a bit and he took it out. He stared at it numbly. His phone. He was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He could've avoided all of this if he had just _called Minato_ before going off. He smiled and laughed weakly, dialing the other and staring at his feet dizzily. He wandered slowly back to the safer part of the station, taking check of himself again. His ribs hurt bad and his arm was swelling and felt tight, but otherwise there was nothing wrong. Just some bruising. No real blood anywhere, use of blunt objects usually prevented that from happening.

When Minato picked up, Soji kept his voice even and vague. "You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm with my friends. As you should be with your's, Soji."

"Ah. Well. I'm kind of lost because I went looking for you to make sure you were okay. Forgot I had my phone. Wandered into some not-so-friendly territory. Can you give me some directions to get to where you are? I'm at…um…a station. I'm still on the Island."

"You got beat by the back-alley folks, didn't you?" Minato sighed. "How bad?"

"Fractured ribs might be the worst. I don't know. I can walk and I'm not bleeding. I also kind of want to meet your friends. See…veteran Persona-users…you know…?" Minato sighed again and then listened off directions. Soji took care to memorize them and then thanked Minato. When he hung up, he smiled faintly. He sure stung, but Minato hadn't given him too hard of a time. It was nice.


	11. Exposition

A/N: Longest chapter yet since it might be a while for the next. Sorry, another cliffhanger for you guys! xD Can't help it. Also; who didn't see this turn of events coming, huh? And from the way I've been building Soji and Minato's irritation with themselves and each other, this plot direction should not be a surprise. xD Keep reviewing, love you all! :3 Also, I didn't go through and check this one over, so don't point out the glaringly obvious grammar/spelling errors. xD

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----Soji----

"Are you okay?"

Soji turned, rubbing at his side sluggishly. The headlights were bright and their glare temporarily blinded Soji, who was growing accustomed to the dim street lighting and the darkness of night. A tall young man approached him and held out a hand peacefully. Soji shook it gently, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit sore. I'm sorry, I didn't notice I was in the middle of the road. There weren't many other cars and I must've just wandered out."

"Where are you heading? My friend and I can drive you up a little further someplace," the silver-haired man offered and Soji smiled, eagerly taking up the suggestion. He moved to the car with the other two, and he took a moment to admire how sleek and handsome the vehicle was.

"That's an import," Soji whistled. "Your car? It's European."

"It's my girlfriend's," the man chuckled. "It's even nicer inside. C'mon." Soji slid into the back and he nodded his head blankly at the young woman--a gorgeous, red-headed young woman to boot. It was hard to see details in the darkened front of the car, and so the man and woman became anonymous amongst the shadows. Soji sat back in the seat, feeling his ribs and looking for abnormalities. "So where're you going, kid?"

"Ahh…It's a Dorm…" Soji struggled, the address slipping his mind. He struggled for a moment, then rubbed at his hair in frustration. His bruises hurt. It was distracting his mind. "Shit, Minato's going to be mad if I call him again…"

The car jerked unnecessarily and both of the people in the front seat looked back at him in the rear-view mirror. The man turned to look over his shoulder at Soji, which panicked him. Soji looked about nervously, then sunk back in his seat, worried he'd said a bad word. The man turned back forward to watch the road, but his eyes flitted up to the rear-view.

"Minato…Arisato…?"

"You're one of his old friends," Soji said simply. "I was scared for a moment there." He breathed a breath of relief, then smiled gently at the two astonished young adults. "He's been living with me for the last while. I was on my way to go find him."

"I'm Akihiko Sanada and this is Mitsuru Kirijo," Akihiko said simply, smiling confidently. Soji knew that name but couldn't remember where from. Kirijo…Wasn't that the name of a really rich family business, or something? He'd heard it brought up somewhere else, though. Ah, well. Soji greeted them in turn and nodded, but the action made him dizzy and he rubbed at his bruised cheek moodily. They said nothing more to each other. Soji got the feeling they were excited to see Minato and that he was almost forgotten. That was fine.

Akihiko parked and they left the car in silence. Soji allowed himself to be the last to enter, and for a moment, he was again blinded when he entered the bright room. He shielded his eyes, too used to the darkness of the car and the night.

"Soji-kun, your face," Minato's voice said, and Soji looked over at the surprised other. Soji smirked obnoxiously in return.

"Your mom."

Minato smirked back, before he turned his attention to Mitsuru and Akihiko. Soji flustered when he saw Minato kiss first Mitsuru's cheek, then hug Akihiko tightly. He turned away, embarrassed for no reason. Those motions were a little too affectionate to him. He was still awkward around Rise himself, so it wasn't quite his fault he shied away from displays of affection. Minato began to listen to Mitsuru talk, and Soji stood back by the desk, watching absently. There were quite a few folks here, but no more than the group of Persona-users in Inaba, really. Most of them looked college-aged, minus the kid obviously in early pubescence and the dog, and Soji thought Minato looked almost too young to be amongst them. The kid was already a little short compared to him, and slighter, and Soji took some pride in thinking he was currently much more physically strong than Minato.

Obviously not strong enough to take out some back-alley punks, but the point remained.

Mitsuru was a tall woman, with flowing red hair and a gorgeous face. Her accessories were attractive and her makeup was flawless, and the way she held herself screamed of a proper upbringing and manners. When she spoke, she spoke clearly and pronounced well. Besides that, she was a babe. She was curvy and slim and dressed well enough to accentuate her best features. Too bad she was too old for him, he had Rise, and she had Akihiko.

Speaking of, he himself was a fierce looking guy. He was tall and he was slim, but there was no doubt that he was strong. His features, however, were gentle and kind-hearted, which made him much better looking than if he was much more strong-featured. He spoke confidently and positively from what Soji overheard from his fluid conversation with Minato--he too was a figure of authority, just like Mitsuru.

The others Soji did not bother to think about too much. They were strangers without names. A blonde-haired girl, who looked physically a bit younger than the others, came to him with a cloth and simply dabbed at his cheek. "You have grit on your face. Are you the friend Minato spoke with on the phone a little while ago?"

"Ah, er, yeah," Soji replied. He flinched but didn't move away. "Thanks. My name is Soji Seta." The girl nodded and cleaned up his cheek, then answered with her own name.

"I am Aigis. I will introduce you to the others while Minato catches up with Mitsuru and Akihiko. That is Ken-kun…" She continued on and Soji listened, nodding his head to show he had heard their names. He was surprisingly good with names and he took care to try and memorize them as soon as he could. Each of them was pretty distinctive, so he doubted he'd forget who was who.

"Thanks," Soji said again, and he stood. He moved away from Aigis and to Minato, who was listening to Akihiko describe his planned career in the police. Minato looked up to him, then turned away to ignore him. Soji put his arm on the other's shoulder to irritate him and he blurted out what he'd wanted to ask for a while. "So you guys are my sensei, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Mitsuru asked curiously. "Sensei for what? I'm afraid I don't even know your name. I apologize for not asking yet."

"Tch, I'm a sensei!?" Junpei said eagerly. "Sensei…for…er…Coolness?"

"Uck," Yukari sighed. The two started to snap and argue with each other, but kept themselves muted so they could hear Soji's words. Minato had tensed up under Soji's arm and he turned to look at the other with wild panic. Soji ignored him.

He straightened, resting his hand on his hip, and he lowered his head so he was looking up from under the tips of his hair. "You are my sensei in the act of fighting with Personae." The room froze. Minato rolled his eyes, and Soji looked down to him curiously. "What, you hadn't told them?"

"I don't want to talk about any of it. My past, or your present," Minato said dully. "I just wished to…see my friends…and catch up with them…"

"But I want to know your past," Soji said quietly. "You won't tell me."

"You don't ask." The two watched each other warily, then they looked to the staring others, and with a sigh, Minato turned back to Soji. "You tell them about Inaba…And then you guys tell him about the Dark Hour and our adventures. I don't want to."

Akihiko pointed at Soji without worry about manners. "He's a Persona-user, Minato? But…The…"

They sat down at the dining table, and after introducing himself, Soji began to explain everything that had happened so far in the mystery of Inaba and the TV world. From the murders to discovering the TV world to fighting their Shadow sides, Soji spilled it all. He explained that he had the Wild Card Arcanum, like Minato, and that he had taken up a similar position with his own friends.

There was a long while of silence after. Minato was watching with faint disdain, as though this wasn't at all how he wanted his night to go. But, without any discussion, Junpei started up their story. Soji was surprised, and Minato mirrored his look.

"You…aren't going to…?" Minato started and Mitsuru smiled at him kindly.

"Minato-kun, this is Seta-san's fight. We've done our bit. I'm glad I'm no longer involved, actually. It isn't our part in his story to help him solve it. Continue, Junpei." And with that, in turns, the former members of SEES all sat back and told their story, from start to finish. Soji learned many things, many things. From the twelve big shadows, to the many levels of Tartarus, to how Minato had had Death sealed inside of him, to Ikutsuki's betrayal and further then to the arrival of Nyx. It was a long tale, and yet Soji listened eagerly to every bit of it. The members of SEES laughed, and mourned, and some of the girls even cried at certain parts, but yet nothing seemed to phase them too much. Soji was interested about every bit of emotion and event they went through and he didn't grow bored once. He stood straight and alert and kept his eyes on the speaker, even if his mind was putting together the puzzle pieces of their story.

"…We don't know the rest, Minato-kun," Fuuka said quietly, turning to him suddenly. Minato was looking away. Soji didn't look up from the table for more than a few seconds, but Minato took his glance as a signal to continue

Minato lowered his eyes, taking a few moments to gather his words. He nodded vaguely when he was prepared. "My soul became a wall, which shielded back Nyx, Thanatos, and some others. My body couldn't maintain long, and that is why I fell into a coma…and technically died. A few weeks ago, a friend noticed how I wasn't holding up well as a wall, and so she replaced me with herself while I healed. My physical body was resurrected and I returned amongst the living by waking up on a bus with Soji's name and face in my head. I…can't control Thanatos very well and Messiah's out of my reach…"

He hesitated over the next few words, then bit his lip. "Once I'm healed and strong again…I'm going to leave and my body will die again."

"No! We just got you back!" Ken yelled violently, scaring everyone out of their attentive silence. "I was going to ask you to stay with me! It's…lonely here, even with Aigis and Koromaru-chan…" He sunk back into his chair, hanging his head. "I missed you so much."

"I knew there was a catch," Junpei snarled, eyes narrowed. "Why'd you even bother telling us you were alive, then? I don't want to stay--I've got homework to do. I don't want to get re-attached. I'll be waiting in the car, girls."

As Junpei stood, Soji glanced up and saw the rip of pain across Minato's face. Soji stood and stepped in front of Junpei, staring up at him, then shoved him back.

"You sit your ass down and apologize," Soji spat, a bristle of defensive behavior consuming him. He pointed to Minato, who had gone blank yet again. "I don't tolerate it when people are dicks to my friends. I'm not afraid to hit you, even if you are my senpai. I don't know Minato as well as you guys do, but I just learned a lot, and the one thing I learned was," _He's so much better than me I can't compare I'm pathetic and I hate him I hate him so much for being better than me and stronger than me and braver than me and smarter than me I hate him for stealing my spotlight I want to be the hero I want to be the Leader I want to be the best and I get off when I see him fall down or look sick that's right I love his illness_ "Without him, you would have been screwed. Without him, now, you'd be dead. And when he leaves, he's protecting you. He's not protecting the world, he's not protecting me and my friends, he's protecting his friends."

Junpei's jaw tightened and Soji's did as well, then Junpei looked to Minato sullenly.

"Why can't this kid go in your place? He's a lot louder than you," he muttered, and Minato smiled faintly.

"Do you really think I'd leave protecting my friends in the his hands?" Minato replied, and though Soji knew he was joking, it still cut. Something thick and harsh bubbled in his stomach and he bit back his agitation. Minato's adventures had touched him and he did feel honored being close to such a brave kid…but something much more dark hated it.

For the next while, Minato and Aigis went with Fuuka to go and cook up some late-night dinner snacks for the others. Soji hung back and away, petting Koromaru and letting the SEES members interact amongst themselves. None of them were going to pretend that Soji was one of them, and neither was he. Soji was a part of the Investigation Squad, the newest generation of Persona-users, and they were the last generation. They had similar powers and a somewhat-similar situation, but as Mitsuru had said, it was Soji and his friend's battle now.

Ken came over to him after a while and they spoke to each other pleasantly before Ken asked, "So…You said you can go inside of a TV…? Can you show us after food?" Soji checked his phone time. It wasn't too late yet, they had about an hour and a half until midnight. He nodded and Ken smiled. "Good! Junpei wanted to ask, but he says you're too 'uppity' for him. He's too old."

"Am not! You little brat, you better shut your trap!" Junpei yelled back and Ken laughed. Soji smiled, then returned to patting Koromaru's head and nursing his side. His ribs hurt. Maybe he'd done a bit more than just bruise them…_His fault if I hadn't gone out to find him I wouldn't be hurt but I'm sure he would've been fine he is their Leader after all I hate him I want to be as good as him why can't I be as innately talented as him Why Why Why WHY?_

They ate and talked over a quick chicken-and-rice dinner, enjoying the company and enjoying Minato's charm as he switched from personality to personality between his friends. It was roughly a bit before midnight when they were done, and then Soji asked if there was a large TV nearby. Minato recalled the screen on the top floor and as a group, they moved up the stairs toward the room. Outside, a faint drizzle of rain made a soft rhythm on the walls and windows. Yukari mumbled something about familiarity to Fuuka, who nodded with a faint smile. Soji's phone rang as he entered the room and he checked to see who it was.

"Just Yosuke. He's probably curious where I am," Soji said distantly. He didn't answer, setting his phone down on the table absently and then he looked to the large monitor screen. It'd work. Minato flipped on some TV channels to prove it was, in fact, a TV monitor as well, and then Soji climbed up onto the chair carefully. Minato didn't move to steady to chair, and Soji just ignored him.

"Alright, so when we want to go into the TV world, we just step through," Soji said pleasantly, reaching his hand into the TV. The SEES team jumped and then looked at him, impressed.

The chair jerked under Soji's weight. He lost his balance and in a moment too fast to recall, the chair shot out from under him on its squeaky wheels and Soji shot a wild glance to Minato. It was the last thing he could remember before he fell back into the TV and he was trapped in darkness.

----Minato----

"Soji-kun!" Minato yelled, lunging forward, but unlike Soji, he could not enter the TV world. He didn't have that power. He touched the screen a few times, then moved back, eyes wide. "N..No. No, damn it! I need to get in there. The TV world is dangerous without weapons. He's got his Personae, but that's not enough."

"Minato, take it easy," Akihiko said sternly. "It's okay. Soji left his phone here, see? Call his friends with his contacts. Tell them what happened. Keep calm. If we must, we can get involved and help."

"It's almost Midnight. Do you think he'd show up on his 'Midnight Channel'?" Yukari asked nervously. Minato took to ignoring them as they spoke, fumbling with Soji's phone. He called Yosuke, who yelled at him at first, thinking he was Soji.

"_Where the hell are you, dude!? Jeez, do you have any idea what time it is? I'm in here with Kanji alone, and--Oh! Don't hit me, ouch!"_

_  
"_Y-Yosuke-kun, this is Minato," Minato interrupted in a quiet, panicked voice. "Soji was with me and my friends when…when he accidentally fell into a TV."

There was a respectful amount of thinking silence, and then Yosuke dropped the phone. Minato could hear Yosuke talking to Kanji. "_Kanji, shit, dude! Soji-kun's in the TV world; Minato said he fell in one! We have to get to--oh, damn it, what time…It's raining! TV--GET TO A TV FAST! Lord knows if he'll get his own show, but we might be able to just see him in there anyway! TELL THE GIRLS DAMMIT_"

Yosuke picked up the phone and Minato gave him the address of the Dorm. Yosuke hung up on Minato, who stared at the phone, then the TV worriedly. _Damn him damn him damn him that stupid idiot I can't believe this If he gets hurt any worse tonight I don't know what I'll do I need him around I need him to give me something when there's nothing else I need him to watch over me because I like it I'm so sick of being empty and alone and having to create facades to please others I want to be intact and he makes me feel intact because he's got such a stronger personality than me He has a personality and I do not I hate him because of that._

The time reached midnight and the screen buzzed to life. It was extremely fuzzy, like it was reaching for a reception too far away, but the faint, buzzing noise of someone talking reached Minato's ears. The picture was bad, and it was impossible to see who or what was talking, but everyone had an idea. Minato just wished he could hear what was being said…because he had an idea it wasn't dissimilar to his own thoughts.


	12. Dungeon

A/N: Y HALLO THERE :D. I mean; OMG IM SO SO SO SORRRRRRYYYYY. -sobs uncontrollably- I lost interest for a while there. But I'm back on track baby. Just for you loyal fans who have been waiting so eagerly for the next chapter, this one is long, and you're going to get the next chapter very quickly after this as well. I apologize for the wait, kiddos. I love you all and thanks for being paitent :D

* * *

----Yosuke----

Yosuke held his phone to his ear, shoulders jammed against Kanji's and Teddie's, eyes wide at the screen. The reception was completely off and looked like utter crap, but it was clear enough to get a fuzzy picture. And in that picture, there was no doubt. It was Soji Seta. The girls barged into the boys' room, Chie dropping her phone and skidding over, shoving them back. They stared into the screen and listened to the barely comprehensible message.

On the screen, in front of a door to what looked like an apartment complex, stood a beaming Soji. In his hand he held a toy, wooden sword and he laughed. "Tonight we have a special pro--" "--Can't wait to see me, right? Don't--" "--Away, got it? We're going to see--" "--So stay tuned in!" The program fuzzed out and the screen went blank. Yosuke's jaw hung slack.

"He's already got his Persona," Yosuke said quietly. "T-Then…Then this means…"

"I didn't see it," Rise whispered, and they turned to her. "I…I saw it, I mean…" She worriedly covered her mouth and nose, shaking her head. "He was edgy, he was…I mean, he doesn't like to…hold my hand much, but…even worse…Oh my god! We have to go in, now, we have to--"

Teddie popped off his head, shaking his head. "No! We can't go in here, we have no idea where we'll end up! And what about you guys' school schedule tomorrow?"

"F-Free day," Yukiko replied weakly. "But we can't go in here anyway. We don't have any of our equipment."

Yosuke tugged at his hair. "We're going to see Minato's friends, now. Minato gave me the address and directions. We need to get on the monorail and we need to get to that dormitory. They're ex-Shadow-fighters, they might have some stuff we can use still. We'll go in at Soji's entrance. We'll have you two, Teddie, Rise, so we shouldn't be too off."

"Wow, I'm impressed," Chie mused. "In times of crisis, you pull through, Yosuke."

Yosuke simply pulled a face and they mobilized, returning to their rooms to dress out of their pajamas and sneak out subtly. Naoto came across them in a hallway, but he provided no obstacle and let them streak past. They hurried to the station and boarded a monorail just before it took off. They essentially ran through the neighborhood, and Yosuke knocked on the Dorm door breathlessly. The summer chill had long taken effect and the girls shivered. Yosuke rubbed Chie's shoulder, nodding, and Kanji kindly gave Rise his spare jacket. Teddie curled his human arms (he had his suit stowed away somewhere, lord knew how) around Yukiko. The support was nice as much as the warmth, Yosuke noticed, because none of the girls complained.

Their leader was in danger. Soji was one of the bonds that held them together, and if he had been having troubles without them noticing, Yosuke knew that they sure as hell would go in and risk their lives trying to save him. He was the one who helped them start this, and he was damn well going to be there when they ended it!

A green-haired young woman answered the door to the breathless teenagers, and without question she stepped aside to let them in. Sitting on the sofa was a brown-haired kid, a blonde girl roughly their age, and a brown-haired young woman.

"We're Soji's pals. You guys are Minato's pals. We need weapons and we need to get in after him," Kanji said brutally, cracking his fist irritably.

"Dude, Nashiwagi," Chie said suddenly. "What about her?"

"She'll think we left early," Rise said sharply. "And we won't be accounted for until tomorrow night. We have to get Soji back by then."

The four former-SEES members watched how they acted, and then they all looked to each other with a smile. Yosuke was annoyed but got the feeling they were just thinking about their past. He held his tongue, and the brunette girl pointed to the stairs.

In her place, the green-haired young woman spoke. "They're are upstairs--top floor-- waiting for you all. Minato has already gathered weapons. We did not have the exact same as what he said you all used, but we did our best from the old storeroom."

"Storeroom…" the boy repeated. "S…Shinji's…?" No one acknowledged his words. The Inaba crew went straight upstairs, and in the meeting room, there were a handful of boys and a red-haired young woman. Yukiko pinched Teddie to keep him on track and Yosuke did his best to keep focused, not trying to stare at her bust. They had a job to do dammit!

Minato was sitting in the chair, staring at the blank screen, eyes narrowed in thought. The two other boys were cleaning old weapons. The red-haired woman turned to watch them as they stumbled in.

"Give us what you got," Kanji demanded crudely. The girls sighed and moved past the boys. Rise and Yukiko began to talk intently with the woman and Chie went to examine the weapons. Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie stood back, watching Minato and the others anxiously.

"I see," the woman said. "I am Mitsuru Kirijo, that's Akihiko--"

"Kirijo?" Yosuke repeated, not believing his ears. The same woman who…Oh, duh. Of course she must have been in on Shadows and Nyx and shit. That didn't take a brain surgeon. Yosuke decided it best to stay quiet until he was needed again. "Sorry, Kirijo-san. Continue."

"As I was saying," Mitsuru continued, as though she hadn't been interrupted at all. Teddie mumbled something along the lines of, 'oooh, harsh' and Yosuke stomped his foot. "This is Akihiko Sanada and Junpei Iori. We gathered what we could for you guys. We did not meet all of your requirements, but I hope that you can make due with what we can give you. We have old items as well. On behalf of SEES, we wish you luck on saving your friend."

Minato stood and moved, grabbing his old axe from the pile of weapons on the floor. He brushed it off with lowered lids and then hefted it up, judging himself on how well he could hold it. Yosuke watched him nervously. If their own Wild-Card user freaked out…would Minato as well? It was possible. Maybe they were both on the fritz. It'd be safe to prepare extra in any case. Yosuke watched him subtly, and then turned to the weapons when Chie signaled him over.

"No Kunai," Chie said. "Or greaves. But, here--use these arrows. You can use them like kunai, right?"

"Just give me the entire bow. I'm not a bad shot," Yosuke snapped. "Give Kanji that battle hammer there. It's blunt enough for him to use." The moved fast and with military precision. Teddie took some of Akihiko's old clawed gloves, Chie settled on strapping hard armor to her legs, Yukiko took some arrows, and Rise grabbed the sack of items. Minato was set on going with them, and nobody even tried to talk him out of it. They all seemed to be on the same mindset as Yosuke, though; would he wig out and conjure a Shadow-self as well? It was a moot point; there was much more important things to be done then.

"Are we ready?" Yosuke finally asked, and they all nodded. The SEES members watched from far back.

"Be careful. If you are gone too long, Akihiko and I will intervene with your school and note that we have taken you all out on a special field trip," Mitsuru said, smiling plainly. "Good luck." With a nod, they were bade off, and one-by-one, they all slipped into the TV.

----Minato---

The landing was harsh. It stole the air from his lungs and he spent a few minutes recovering, gasping and clutching his stomach. The others went through similar moments of pause as they regained themselves, and slowly, the Inaba kids put on their glasses. Minato remained lost in the fog, until Teddie kindly supplied him with the pair made for him. Minato slid them on and was surprised at the difference, but then returned to their task.

"This is his dungeon," Rise said simply, Kanzeon's headset over her eyes. She was scanning the building before them and looking for Soji. Due to their entrance at the source of Soji's falling in, his dungeon was right where he had landed and created it. If they tried to find their usually starting point, it'd take some time. And it was probably far away, to boot, so the start of his dungeon was a good enough starting point for them as well. "He's on the eighth floor. It's…like an apartment building. A regular, city building."

"He's a city boy," Yosuke said basically. "Maybe he misses home?"

Rise shook her head, looking at Yosuke bitterly. "He hates home." She said nothing more. A frontline was established, with Kanji, Yosuke, Teddie, and Minato substituting as leader due to his experience. The rest remained back a bit as support. Without any further ado, they took deep breaths, and entered the City Apartment dungeon.

As they fought Shadows and climbed levels, Minato's mind was in one place. _Damn it Soji why did this happen if you were more careful and less stupid this wouldn't have happened Why can you make me hate myself so I don't want to be me there's no me to be I've got nothing inside I'm empty I can't be me because there is no me to be and you make me be me and I need you around because at least then I have something instead of nothing then I have anger or irritation or something WHY AREN'T YOU HERE?_

-----Soji-----

Soji held his side, leaning against a bed and his head rolled back onto the mattress. Breathing hurt. His rough landing had further jarred him, and he swore he felt his ribs move out of place. They'd been fractured in the fight, and if they weren't broken now, they were cracked further. It hurt. That wasn't the source of his current exhaustion, though. It was watching his Shadow self watching him. Shadow Soji held a toy sword and, so far, had said absolutely nothing to the real Soji. Nothing at all. Soji wasn't sure why that was; in fact, this entire situation made no sense.

"I have already been able to harness Izanagi's power," he said quietly. "Is he rebelling?"

The Shadow chuckled but said nothing. Soji doubted the Shadow wanted to play until it had an audience. Not that Soji himself wanted an audience--he didn't like being watched, he got nervous under pressure…

"I love it," the Shadow chuckled. "Keep saying that. I get off on it when people look to me. Of course you don't like their attention, right? Heh." The Shadow silenced again, and then lifted his head. "Oh, my friends. I should greet them. I love it when they talk to me. I need their conversation, I need their company…because it's soooo scary when you're all alone, right? Because then you remember how your folks leave you."

"I love my parents," Soji deflected quietly, winced, and shut his eyes. His Shadow self left to go visit the gang down on the earlier floors, probably to give them a distraction or to bait them in further. Soji didn't have enough strength to do anything about it.

-----Rise----

He never was one for emotional intimacy or physical contact. Why, she didn't know, but she did know it was a part of him he just didn't need to interact with often. When she hugged him or stayed close to him she would see how he tightened and how he would grimace, even if he disguised it when he thought she had seen. But she knew. He didn't talk about his past, and Rise didn't bother him about it. She didn't need to know anything beyond that his parents were in America. There was no need. He didn't spill his entire heart to her, but still, Soji loved to listen to her and she loved to talk, so it was okay. He'd mention little things and so Rise would appreciate them as they came.

Rise wasn't sure when he began to act weird. It was after Minato's arrival, but was still more recent than that. It was after they caught Mitsuo as well…Perhaps not long after that. No--it was after Minato began to befriend Soji's friends. That was when he grew a little more distant with her than usual. Soji was kind and sweet to her, and sometimes Rise wondered if he would have easily chosen Yukiko or Chie over her given the chance, but then she'd figure that was silly--he had chosen her out of the others, and she was grateful enough for that.

So when she saw Soji's Shadow on the third floor with the others, she was surprised at how the Shadow acted.

"Look, look at me!" the Shadow called out. He held out his sword. "I can play hero too! Don't watch him, don't watch that blue-haired snot. He's a show-off--I'm your real leader!" He cackled. "When I'm leader, I can defeat any demon! Real or personal, I mean! I can pretend people love me and need me. I can pretend that you guys actually like me! I can play pretend just like the rest of you, and I'm going to pretend I'm the biggest hero! The strongest, the best-est, the smartest! I can pretend that people want me around." He laughed again. "In the end, you'll all leave me anyway."

"Soji's our Leader!" Yosuke called out. "We don't pretend to like him; he's my best friend and I'll die for him!"

"I love him with all of my heart; I'd die for him too!" Rise cried out. She stood back, frightened by the wild look the Shadow sent her. Minato moved in front of her and that just pissed off the Shadow.

Shadow Soji held out his sword and summoned up a giant knight Shadow, then began to slink back. "Don't pretend. Don't pretend. Keep up with Soji Seta's show; The hunt for loyal friends! Ones that don't follow the blue-haired demon." Rise glanced to Minato, who trembled a little and clenched his axe tighter but did not falter. This was too dangerous a situation. It was too late to pull out now, though, and so the fighters lunged in to bring down the Shadow. The others stood back and cheered them on, pitching in with items and spells here and there.

But while Rise helped the others fight, her mind was distracted. Did Soji feel…He was being replaced? By Minato? That was crazy! Minato was their senior in this field of expertise, but he was weak and he wasn't their Leader. Rise didn't need him. Rise needed Soji. Did Soji feel he was no longer needed, or that their need wasn't there? Did he feel he was only 'playing' leader and not actually performing the role? And…what was that about personal demons? Did…It had to do with his city life. It had to. Rise was going to find out, darn it all! She had to. If they didn't, Soji could get himself killed by trying to pretend there was a side of himself that wasn't rebelling.

What was Soji's truest, darkest fear? Rise didn't buy it was just jealousy. There was something underlying that was the cause. They would soon find out, wouldn't they?

The knight was destroyed and they all took a moment to heal up and regain their breath. The boys were hurting and Minato was oddly distant. He was absent and Rise felt something growing in his chest. Before this was done, she knew, she knew that he too was going to be facing another side as well. She hardly believed it was coincidence.

Once they were ready again, they continued on. At the next level, voices echoed down from upper levels.

"_We're sorry, son…"_

_  
"We have to go. Understand, would you? You'll be staying with the neighbors for a little while. You like Niwa-san don't you?"_

"_Oh, Soji, don't act like that. You're not a child. We'll be back."_

Kanji made a grunt as he ran with the others. "That's right. His folks go away a lot. That's why he's here, ain't it?" Rise didn't say anything, her eyes downcast. The next level, too, filtered down voices.

"_Soji!-kun! Soji-kun! Oh….there you are. Come, now. No use staying in your room all alone. Your parents are just a bit late, that's all."_

A quiet, gentle voice they all recognized, though younger and higher, followed up. "_They never wanted me! That's why they're never home, isn't it?"_

"_Of course not, dear. Come."_

Another level.

"_We're going to America, Soji. It's on business. We won't be back for a year. We're transferring you out of school to the school where your uncle lives. You remember Dojima-san, don't you?"_

"_Soji, you do not slam doors in this household! Where is your respect, young man? What is this about--you being transferred or us leaving? You are not a child anymore, you cannot expect us to hold your hand all the time._"

"_I don't_," Soji's voice said flatly. It sent shudders down the Investigation crew. There were no more voices on their climb, but they spent the time fighting shadows mulling over the thoughts those few lines had brought up. A discussion arouse, in which they tried to diagnose what exactly was Soji's denial revolved around. It had to do with his parents, as well as Minato's arrival. He had never hinted to behavior like this before, and so they were all at a loss. Minato said nothing. He was dealing with his own conflicts and Rise just tried to ensure he didn't lose it before they reached Soji at the highest level.

"We'll get you out of here soon, Soji," Rise murmured to herself, keeping up with the other support members. "Please, hang on."


	13. Shadows

A/N: Whoo. Another chapter. Notice; this one is very bad. No need to point this out to me. It's been a while, and this was the chapter I had half-finished last time I was working on this.

On another note, you should play the Imagine Online MMO MegaTen has going. Seriously. It's incredible. Having a pet Jack Frost will never feel so good.

* * *

----Soji----

"I'm so glad. They're almost here," the Shadow chuckled, sitting on the bed and pawing playfully at Soji's hair. Soji's eyes were shut and his arms were curled tighter around himself. His endurance was wearing thin, especially since he couldn't feel Izanagi's strength at the moment. This was Izanagi rebelling, or so he guessed. Perhaps Izanagi wanted to protect him from losing himself? Or perhaps Izanagi was berserking over some form of self-denial? But Soji couldn't figure out what he was lying to himself about. Or…if he did…He didn't wish to acknowledge it. The Shadow Soji was strangely affectionate toward him, and he was curious as to why that was, but it didn't make him feel any worse so he didn't complain.

"I'm glad I'm here. I'm glad I'm not all alone. At least I need me," the Shadow murmured, grinning darkly at Soji. Soji didn't open his eyes, just chose to ignore the Shadow. "Because…if absolutely no one needed me…I'd simply fall apart, wouldn't I?"

The doors to the apartment room burst open. Soji's eyes opened and he looked over, then looked to his Shadow, who grinned widely, but then returned his attention to Soji. Chie took a few daring steps forward, eyes wide. "Soji-kun! You're hurt!"

"I got mugged before I fell into the TV world," Soji said simply, trying to stand without rattling himself too much. "Let's go." None of them moved, warily watching the beaming Shadow.

Soji shook his head. He wasn't going to deal with this needy spazz. Then Shadow Soji slid from the bed and stood behind him, smirking. "I'm so glad they need me. I'm so glad they want me. Or…so I think. They don't need or want me, at all, do they? That's not what I want. I don't want to play hero, either; it's just something I do because I've been asked. Because what would have happened if I'd said no…?" The Shadow Soji lifted up his wooden sword and placed it playfully against Soji's neck. Soji didn't look to him or away from his friends.

"They'd replace me."

"Shut up," Soji snapped, which surprised most of his teammates. That was the sore spot? They were quiet and Soji looked to the Shadow, not wanting this to continue. He did not want this conversation to go down this path. But he knew the ritual by now and he should have seen it coming.

Shadow Soji cackled, lowering the sword and tilting his head so he was watching Soji from under his gray bangs. "What happens when one is replaced? They're forgotten. They fall until they hit the bottom and then they are left alone."

"Don't," Soji whispered. "Izanagi, don't…"

"And when they're left alone, no one will come back for them! No one will come back for me! If I'm replaced, I'll be left behind! That's what hurts! That's why I hate to touch, I hate to admit that I need people too! I hate people's false loyalties and I hate lies and liars! Traitors! I hate people who turn to this blue-haired demon because then I'll be left behind and then…I'll…" The Shadow grinned wildly at Soji, who was trembling

Soji shook his head. "I…I don't need people's attention. I'm fine with being alone. I've been left behind all my life. I'm used to it, it's okay. I don't fear it. And I don't fear you, Izanagi. Stop."

"Soji, you know where this is going!" Yosuke yelled sharply. "Be careful! We'll never--"

"You will!" the Shadow laughed wildly, but his voice was cracking and breaking into hysteria mixed with rage. "You'll replace me. And then--you know what happens! I'll be--"

"Shut up, don't say it!" Soji snarled, an arm falling from his side and his fist clenching. "Who do you think you are, spouting this? I'll never be left behind, I trust my friends! Go away, Izanagi! You're--"

"I'll be ABANDONED!" The shadow spouted, eyes wild with enjoyment and glee and danger. "ABANDONED! Like my folks do almost every year. I'll be left behind and abandoned! No one needs me or wants me and I don't trust any of my friends to keep their loyalties because absolutely no one does! I smile and laugh and pretend because I am in fact what I hate most! A LIAR who tells himself that he's needed and he won't be left alone and ABANDONED!"

"Shut up, that's not me at all!" Soji howled, taking a slug at the Shadow. "Shut up with that word!" But the Shadow was pulsing and ripped through the human form instead of gathering Shadows to it. It was already a formed Shadow, it had just used a human form to bring out the innermost denial. There, in the place of the Shadow Soji, stood a corrupted version of Izanagi. It's sword was jagged and broken and in its free hand it clutched a beating, bleeding heart. It was chained here and there, and it looked like it was chained to the floor, unable to move away or follow anything. Unable to catch up once left behind, in theory. Soji dropped to the floor, overwhelmed by the draining effect, and he watched dizzily from the floor as the Shadowed version of Izanagi screeched and cried for other Shadows to join him; but none did.

Soji began to fade from consciousness when the group turned from him to Izanagi, then to a different spot altogether. He saw no more, and lost himself to a darkness.

----Minato----

"'Replaced'…"

They all turned to look at the figure leaning against the wall by the door, despite the impending threat of the enraged Shadow Izanagi, and Minato felt his powers sap away in that second. The blue-haired Shadow moved away from the wall and moved to before Minato, its back to Izanagi like it didn't matter absolutely at all. His face was blank and his eyes were completely empty. There was no sign of life. The figure before him may have as been dead for all they knew. Its voice was hallowed and haunted. It chuckled emptily. "I wish that was the case. Having my old power back would be nice. Its easier to lie to myself when I'm in power and, I too, am needed and wanted."

"We need to deal with Soji's Shadow," Minato murmured. "Don't use my face. Go away."

"I thought Ryoji was your Shadow, Minato-kun?" Yukiko called, confused.

Shadow Minato snorted. "Ryoji is Death. He is the one I blame for stealing the other half of my personality. My good points. But that is not the case, if I may be honest. Who am I kidding, anyway? Everyone knows all I do is manipulate myself. It's not 'smooth' or 'talent', it's because I'm afraid to see what is truly inside of me. I'm too afraid of the darkness, or the loneliness."

"I don't have time for this," Minato muttered. "Soji needs us. I know what's in me. I just have many parts to me. Many parts. I just bring them up for certain people. It isn't because I can't be myself."

"Myself? Who am I?" The Shadow murmured in return. "I am vacant. I need friends around me, which is why I change who I am to fit their needs. I always need friends around me. If I'm alone…My mind has nothing to depend on. I cannot create a façade to protect my vulnerabilities."

"I don't mind that at all. I've always done that. Since my parents died, it's nothing new," Minato said quietly. "Soji--"

"Soji, Soji, Soji, Soji," The Shadow mocked. "…I hate him and I love him. I love him because I have no idea how to work him, how to use him to find a personality. I must challenge myself and it is fun. But I hate him because if I cannot come up with anything…I must use myself. And I hate myself. I hate my emptiness. There is nothing to me. I hate him because he has a personality--I have nothing! I am empty! I do not know who I am."

"I am Minato Arisato. I know who I am!" Minato growled. "Stop it, shut up, I've got to help Soji."

"Soji babies me and Soji cares for me when he does not hate me! How often have I been cared for? I give, give, give and I never get back what I've given! He gives and I'll gladly take until there's nothing left!" The Shadow's eyes flashed. "It'd be awful if he died. Then you'd be no closer to discovering yourself! He's just a tool to try and find yourself, but you know as well as I do that he'll never help you find the real Minato Arisato! I know because I am you and you are without any sort of personality."

"That's not true!" Minato snarled. "There is a me and I know who it is! And it is not you!"

"Oh shit," Yosuke moaned. "Nooo. Not two…" Minato did not hear. He fell back when the human form of Shadow Minato ripped apart, and there in its place was a tall, rectangular, spinning object. It was flat and thin…and then when it landed, the darkness surrounding it faded.

It was a card. There was no face, just a back. When Teddie stepped forward, the card flashed and in its place was the ultimate Persona of the Star Arcanum, Helel. Minato leaned back, watching dizzily from the ground, seeing how the card turned to face Izanagi and flashed Loki of the Fool Arcanum. Then, to all of their surprise…the two began to fight. The roots of these recently-drawn up denials were each other and their jealousy toward the other. The two Personae-turned-Shadows could hardly help but fight each other.

Minato, despite the weakness of having his Persona berserk and become a Shadow, did not black out as Soji had. Watching was all he could do nonetheless, and he allowed himself to become a spectator.

"I am the Shadow. The _true _self!" Shadow Izanagi cried, yanking on his chains and raising his chipped sword dangerously towards Minato's Shadow. Kanji let out a loud groan, looking between the two Shadows desperately, and he stepped forward to get ready to intervene. If the two Shadows killed each other, what would happen? It may not have been a good thing to find out. By approaching, though, Minato noted that the card spun and shifted to the Persona of the Emperor Arcanum, Odin. The Odin trapped in the face of the card raised his weapon and let out a cry, stretching out from the face and attacking the Shadow Izanagi.

Yosuke let out a loud whine. "Awww man! One of them is like a friggin' roulette, and the other is our good ol' buddy Izanagi. Great. Just great! DAMMIT!" Chie smacked the back of his head ruthlessly, gave him a sharp look, and moved up with Kanji. The team of fighters was set. The battle began. The first thing they had to do was to wear down one of them. There was no way they could take on both of the Shadows at once. Minato's Shadow was a huge problem, because like Minato himself, it was best suited to each of the team that approached it. Which made it immune or strong against most of their specified magic skills or attacks. On the other hand, Shadow Izanagi was flat-out powerful, and his wide sweep of his sword made getting in close hard. Another problem was that the two Shadows would not only just attack the party, they'd attack each other.

Rise did her best to analyze the situation in real time. She'd heal and use items when the party was in need of it, but from what Minato saw, there was little she could do. The team had to rough it out the best they could.

Chie got a nice strong kick in at the Shadow Izanagi, who groaned and let out a vicious snarl at about the same time. She staggered back, annoyed with how ineffective her makeshift greaves were. Yosuke's arrows, though he was no professional archer, had true aim and would mostly hit their desired mark. Kanji was as effective as ever in taking a blunt item and beating the hell out of whatever he could with it. Teddie's claws got in a few scrapes too. It was their Personae, however, that really shone through. The appearance of each almost softened Izanagi, who had grown very familiar with each. It was bizarre to consider Personae friendly with each other, but Minato didn't doubt it. Orpheus was definitely friendly with Isis, back in the old days.

Izanagi buckled after a long session of being whooped on, either unable to fight anymore or unwilling to. However, the battle wasn't over. An angry Shadow Minato had yet to be extinguished.

The Shadow, without Izanagi to focus most of his attacks on, grew wilder. The card shook and trembled, flashing between Odin, Mada, Helel, and Futsunushi at high speeds, unable to decide where exactly the card wanted to face. This mass of confusion left Minato's head pounding, and he laid out on his stomach, burying his head into his arms and staring at the floor. The battle was noisy and his Shadow's problems were becoming his own.

When the Shadow was defeated, he felt it. He sat up slowly, looking up at his blank self who stood above him. The Shadow stared down at him, quieted, and Minato took its hand to help stand.

They said nothing. They nodded. After a bit of the silence, Minato lowered his head, not caring if the other's were listening in on him or Soji--who was coming to. "Orpheus," he said quietly. "I don't know who I am anymore. Maybe I never did. I never really needed to worry about it. But when I met Soji, I couldn't adjust myself to suit him very well at all…and I realized I needed to resort to my true personality if I were to bond with him. But the problem was, I didn't know what that was." The Shadow nodded. "Before I have to return my rightful place…I should take some time to figure out just who I am, instead of who other's are." The Shadow melted away, and Orpheus took its place, looking content.

-----Soji-----

Soji stirred slowly, feeling overwhelmingly sore and tired. He got up carefully, using the bed he had collapsed by to help right himself, and he looked to his quiet Shadow distantly. The Shadow stared back listlessly.

Rise moved forward, touching Soji and giving him some items to try and heal him. Her touch was comforting, and Soji pulled her close to him for a moment, eyes mostly shut. Abandonment. That was what he truly feared. He had always been left behind by his parents, whether they meant to do as much or not. At first, it hadn't been so bad. But as time passed, he found how much he hated home and how much he hated his parents' lifestyles. It wasn't that he cared so much that they didn't have time for him. He cared because they were never _there_. They never came back for him and took him away with them. They went alone. They left him behind.

He sought friends and others to help fill that gap of loneliness. The more people he had around him, the more he felt needed and the more he felt like he wouldn't be alone. However, when the most recent trip came up, and he realized that he would be moved away from his friends and the nest of safety he had forged for himself, it had been hard. Yet, with the duty as a hero he had taken up, and the new friends he had gained, he didn't feel like he would be abandoned.

Then Minato came along, and out of the blue, his position as leader felt threatened. Minato's experience and knowledge alarmed the innermost part of Soji. That fear returned. His friends would want to work under Minato, and he would be left behind again.

Soji held a hand out to his Shadow. "My friends won't leave me behind," he said confidently. "I'm not any less frightened of it, though. My parents were never there. No one was ever there. I grew up alone and there's nothing wrong with being alone…but I wouldn't let myself think I was lonely. I had friends, but…friends may disappear with time too. I'm scared of that time. I don't want our adventures to end, ever, as selfish as that is, but I know they will. I want to be where I'm needed forever. But I won't be. And I definitely won't be if I make a bastard out of myself."

Soji's Shadow nodded, and faded, becoming the correct version of Izanagi. Soji turned to Minato, holding Rise a bit tighter to him. Minato was just looking up to Orpheus, touching his Persona with an affection Soji didn't think was possible with Personae. Time, he supposed, had led to that.

"Minato," Soji said. "…I think we should talk sometime."

"Just the two of us," Minato agreed, almost echoing.

"How about when we get back to Inaba?" Minato nodded. Soji turned to Rise. "I think I should talk to you too."

She nodded as well. "I think that would be good. Can we get out of here first?"

Soji smiled tiredly, nursing his side. "I guess so. If I wanted to be home, I guess I would've hit a train ride back some weekend or another. As it stands; I don't want to be here. Let's get back."

Yosuke, Kanji, Chie, and Teddie hung back, looking a cross between annoyed and dissatisfied.

"How…" Kanji started.

"Unfulfilling?" Chie finished.

"Yeah. That."

"Anticlimactic, almost," Yosuke agreed.

"Un-bear-able," Teddie concluded as well.


	14. Goodbye Pt 1

A/N: Soooooooo Here you go. Another update, just for my fans. :3 This one is short. Like, 'don't blink' kind of short. As in 'I don't have time to make a big chapter so just deal with this'. I'd like to mention now: I don't care if you don't like slash. I DO. And my Minato is a bisexual polygamist, so he can do whatever he wants. If you don't like it, tough deal yo. It's not like it's going to return in the next chappie, so man up.

Otherwise. Enjoy this brief, last chapter involving the SEES crew.

* * *

-------Soji---------

"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted as the weary team stumbled through the TV. Soji managed a nod and Minato moved to her, sleepy and worn. Yosuke grinned, looking through the window.

"The sun still hasn't risen. YES! We'll get some shut eye!" he cheered, and Chie tossed him an annoyed look but said nothing. There was a moment of silence between the two groups, one that the two wild card boys failed to notice while they settled in on the couch and moaned. Minato instinctively moved and snuggled into Soji, and though Soji felt a shudder pass through him, he smiled vaguely and moved an arm around Minato's shoulder. It was his good arm; one that hadn't been beat by punks earlier on in the night. Had that seriously only been during that night? Ridiculous.

Most of the SEES group had migrated upstairs, in anxious return of the crew, Soji could only estimate, and now the SEES members stared down their successors, the Investigation Squad. Minato peeked open his tired gray eyes long enough to see them sizing each other up, and Soji watched warily. It wasn't awkward, no more than it was anxious. Soji wondered if it was because they were judging each other or if it was because they were in awe of each other.

"Junpei," Minato voiced, surprising Soji. This surprised most of everyone else as well, for they turned to him with surprise. Junpei pointed to himself questioningly. Minato nodded, shifting closer to Soji. Soji didn't react to it; Minato was weaker than he was, and if he was seeking a form of warmth or comfort or something from him, Soji sure as hell was going to give it to him. Minato was his senpai. That was something he needed to learn to admire, not be envious of. "Yosuke, like you, is of the Magician Arcana. He's like you and Kenji put into a blender."

Yosuke looked to Minato, then up at Junpei, who definitely had some height on him. After a moment more of that odd silence, they cracked grins and jerked their heads back. "Sweet, dude," they said in unison, and the two broke up into laughter. "I am sure glad you're going to be taking my place. Comic relief / best friend is one hard role," Junpei added, snorting.

"Which you failed miserably at," Yukari sniped, and Rise giggled.

Minato smiled at that. "Rise, Yukari…you're both of the Lovers."

"Rise. _THE_ Rise?" Junpei said suddenly, turning to look at her. "Risette. As in--"

Soji defensively stood from the blue, moved to Rise, and gave Junpei a fast wry grin. "Yes. Risette," he said, and kissed Rise. The rush he got from that was unbelievable. Being released from his jealousy and bad feelings toward his parents had given him the boost he needed to establish contact with Rise randomly. Junpei let out a gargled noise of sadness.

"Noooooooo, Risetteeeee!" the male cried, tugging on his earring sadly. "Do you have any idea how much cooler I am over him? I saved the world you know."

Minato laughed at this and Junpei unsuccessfully threw the empty foam cup he had been drinking coffee from while the Investigation Squad had been inside the TV. Soji pulled Rise with him back to the couch and sat back down by Minato. Rise settled on his lap and Minato curled up tiredly into his side. It was nice to be needed. Soji had to admit that by now. Minato took a quiet breath, before looking over the group again. "Fuuka…You and Yukiko are Priestess. Akihiko, you and Kanji are Emperor--I thought I'd mention that my old boyfriend Hide-kun is too."

"Boyfriend?" Kanji repeated, as did Soji and Yosuke. Mitsuru chuckled, and Aigis smiled.

"Minato is a bisexual polygamist," Aigis shared factually. Minato looked puzzled at the words, and Soji wondered if it was because he just didn't know the words for what he was. Perhaps he didn't like to labvel himself, either. Soji didn't know. There was a lot Soji didn't know. Amongst that was also the fact that Minato _was_ a bisexual polygamist, not just being labeled as such.

Yosuke looked confused too, trying to wrestle out of Junpei's grip. However, Teddie asked for him, "A bi-whassit now?"

"Bisexual polygamist," Mitsuru continued for Aigis. "Someone who dates many people at once, boy and girl. Ken-kun and Koromaru may be the only two who have not gone on some dates with Minato." There was a pause, and a vivid rush of heat appeared in most of the SEES members cheeks.

"Shinjiro," Minato whispered, eyes shutting. "I'll say we had the best se--"

"Ooooh, Kanji's getting all pumped up," Yosuke teased, and Kanji applied a severe beat down that left most of the more masculine minds howling with laughter. Even Minato and Soji chuckled, despite their tired silence. Yukiko was giggling a control giggle. Teddie was pink with humor.

Fuuka turned to Minato, moving to him and crouching down to take his hand. "Minato-kun," she said softly. "Thank you very much for seeing us one last time. If…If you want, perhaps you can stay here, in the Dorm, with Koromaru and Aigis and Ken-kun?" The offer made Minato open his eyes and sit up a bit, looking past her to the SEES group. Ken's eyes were wide and Koromaru was at his heels, whining softly. None of the other's changed expression. No one begged or pleaded, from either the SEES group or the Investigation Squad.

Soji reached and gently squeezed Minato's wrist, and Minato looked to him.

"It's okay," he said softly. "I'm sure Ig--"

"No," Minato said flatly, much to most of their surprise. It wasn't necessarily the message that surprised them; it was the delivery. "No. I want to return to Inaba with Soji-kun." The addition of 'kun' to his name embarrassed Soji a bit and he looked to Rise with a vague smile. Maybe bonding with this kid was going to be easier than previously thought. "I'm done here in Iwatodai, just like you guys. When I leave, this will be a dream to you guys. Not a memory. Because memories can hurt, but dreams can not."

"Minato," Akihiko said softly, fondly. "Are you sure? Hell, I can keep you up at my dorm. I'm sure Hidetoshi would love to see you. You know how crazy he was for you."

"No," Minato repeated. "No…Don't tell Hide-kun or Yuko or anyone else I'm alive, if you haven't already. Definitely don't contact Tanaka. I don't want Soji's cousin waking up to dead rats nailed to our door." Everyone looked to him in alarm, especially Soji, but Minato continued unaffected by their stares. "I don't belong here anymore. I don't belong anywhere. So I should be where I am supposed to be…and that is away from you. I love you all…But I must go."

"Of course," Aigis agreed instantly, and Minato stood. The Investigation Squad moved to put back their borrowed equipment and they started to bid farewells to leave themselves. Soji and Rise lingered back to wait for Minato while he said his goodbyes. Tears started to show up, and Soji looked to Rise with a faintness of sadness.

"If I died," he said quietly, and Rise put a finger to his lip. She shook her head.

"No. You won't die. Because we need you, and you need us. Dying would upset that balance," she told him in reply. She kissed him gently, which morphed into something a bit more intimate, but they broke off when they heard Minato speak.

The boy was standing before all of his old friends. He was holding himself tiredly, but when he looked up, he smiled shyly and quietly. He hugged himself tighter. "…I…I'm going to miss you all. Th…Thank you. For everything. I didn't get a chance to say anything…before."

"Aw, dude…" Junpei said softly. "Don't do this. I…We all cried hard enough last time."

"Cry? I've never cried," Ken whispered hoarsely, and the group laughed nervously. Minato moved to each member, one at a time, and though he said nothing aloud, he spoke paragraphs with his motions. Minato hugged Ken tightly, and then gave Koromaru a very nice scratching here and there. Then he turned to Aigis, pulled her close into his arms, and kissed her. Soji was shellshocked for a moment, watching Minato move from one person to the next, hugging and kissing them all in their own unique way. Mitsuru's was brief and professional, Yukari's was intense and quite wet with tears, Fuuka's was sentimental and gentle, and Aigis' was the most similar to that seen in a movie. It was romantic and human.

With the boys, Soji looked away with a bit of a playful face, making Rise smack him to behave during the tender moment. Minato was rough with Akihiko, almost wanting to leave a mark on him, while with Junpei's it was so awkward it was almost stupid. Each action was intentional. And it was very final.

"I'll let Shinjiro know how you guys are," Minato whispered as he sided Soji and Rise, shy and looking very oddly open. It wasn't an act. They were seeing a very real side to Minato.

"I thought I'd never kiss a dude again, but there we go," Junpei mused. "You break a lot of friggin' rules."

"Akihiko," Mitsuru said almost hauntingly. Aki flinched. "Let us not forget who your girlfriend now is."

Aki turned to protest, but Mitsuru laughed, and then she crossed her arms, watching Minato bow, thank them again, and bid a final farewell.

Soji gave Minato a look as they moved through the Dorm. "So. Kissing a guy. What's it like?"

"Fantastic. Girls really know what the good stuff is," Minato commented quietly, sounding faintly hurt and miserable…but if he was willing to play around a bit, Soji knew he'd recover okay. They almost reached the door when something came following at their heels. Koromaru whined and looked up at them expectantly. Soji looked to Minato, who looked to the dog sadly. Aigis had followed the dog.

"He wants to go with you," Aigis said quietly. "Is it possible, Minato-kun?"

Minato looked to Soji, who bit his lip and looked down in thought. Rise nodded out of the blue. "Of course it is! He can stay with me. We'll have Teddie bring Koromaru home. Good doggie," she added, crouching down and petting Koro-chan. Soji was surprised, but he smiled and looked to Minato, who looked pleased.

"He has his own Persona," Minato added randomly. "He can help too."

Soji was dumbfounded. A dog? A dog had a Persona? How hard was it to get a Persona back in the day? He smiled weakly to himself, nudged Minato, and as a group, the four of them caught up with the others and started back toward the hotel.


	15. Ache

A/N: Yayyyyy another update. I'm on a ROLL. WHOO. Thanks for being good sports about Minato's bisexuality; as a reward, you get a nice snog session with Rise. This is the last chapter in Port Island :3 Enjoyyyy

* * *

-----Soji------

The rest of the trip seemed to go by too quick. Soji was only just barely capable of connecting memories between leaving the Dorm that early morning to entering the hotel late at night. Perhaps there was some event at a club in some mall on the island that night, perhaps not, but Soji had been stuck in a sort of shell after his contact with his Shadow. Rise may have gotten trashed, or may not have. Soji found himself in the hall at the hotel after the time at the club, feeling fuzzy and warm and bubbly. The taste of alcohol was not present, yet he felt drunk and that may have been mostly to blame from his exhaustion and faint fever.

His shirt was faintly unbuttoned and skewed, and the hall seemed to tilt as he stood still with his back against his door. Somehow he couldn't remember how he had gotten here, or why he felt so dizzy. Holding the wall for some guidance, he stepped away, running his free hand through his mussed up gray hair. Had he just woken up? Had he been undressing? He didn't know. Something primal led him, though, and before he knew it, he was outside of the girls' room. The numbers were familiar, and he knew they weren't Kanji's, Yosuke's, and he's room. He touched the door, thumb tracing the handle in hesitation.

Minato was sleeping on his bed, he recalled. He hadn't had the heart to move him, so he had decided to shower off before going to bed, hoping the kid would roll over a bit while he did so. Soji must've been distracted while starting to undo his shirt, though. He'd ended up in the hall instead of in the bathroom.

It was late. Perhaps a little bit before or after midnight. Yet Soji felt no guilt when he rapped gently on the girls' door, wondering vaguely why the door was swaying. Maybe _he_ was the one who was swaying, and he smiled vaguely in spite of this. Silly. He should go back to his own room, but he simply put more weight on his heels and waited for the door to open.

Chie answered, pawing at her eyes tiredly. She was dressed in her pajamas, but didn't quite have the look like she had been asleep. Perhaps she had just been snuggling in too. Soji looked down at her, and said plainly, "Is…Rise still awake?"

Rise? Why did he want to see Rise? Confusion flashed through him, but it was quickly smothered by an odd hunger. It wasn't a hunger for food, but for something else, and he knew that only Rise could comfort that desire. It wasn't particularly for sex, but more like the attention only she could give him. He wanted that. Making up for lost time would have made sense to the sleepy young man, but he was too tired and sick to care much for real reasons.

Chie looked back, then looked up to Soji. "Err…Maybe. She's still a bit loopy. What's up, Soji?"

"I want to see her. May I come in?"

Chie looked a bit surprised, glanced about, and Soji only had to mention the Camping Trip once to get her to groan and let him in. Moving in, the gray-haired male moved straight to the bed where Rise sat, playing with the frills on the bottom of her sleeping dress. She looked up in shock when Soji stood over her and she looked about. Yukiko was on the other bed, snoring softly and fast asleep. Chie looked at Soji nervously, then sighed and returned to watching TV on muted volume. Soji chose to ignore the other two. All he wanted right now was Rise.

"Soji," she said, smiling up at him. "When we were playing that game earlier, that was so much fu--" She was silenced when Soji leaned onto the bed and kissed her, gently lowering her until she was lying down completely. He was positioned above her, his hands keeping him from lying down on top of her, his knees jamming into the side of the mattress. Movement seemed fuzzy and smeared, and a heat had gone and made every touch against Rise's colder, bare arms sharp in his dizzy world. Before Soji had realized it, he was moving more into his kisses, desperate to keep constant, blissful contact. Her lips tasted like strawberries and his mind went through a fast commercial, starring his pop idol girlfriend.

_Tired of kissing always being so bland? Try Strawberry Lip Flavor! It'll drive your boyfriends absolutely crazy!_

"I love strawberries," Soji heard himself saying. "Mom used to call me Ichigo sometimes, just to make fun of me."

Rise only made a vague noise back, her arms looped around Soji's neck, eyes shut and lips moving gently against his. In the bed over, Soji thought he heard Chie giggle and he darted an eye up to check. It was hard to see past his messed up bangs, but he caught Chie's little smile. He ignored her. He wanted to busy himself with Rise, not think about Chie.

This wasn't to say that he had never been attracted to Chie. The same could be said about Yukiko, too. They were both pretty girls, and he had crushed quite hard on Yukiko before he had met Rise. Soji, unlike Minato, was intensely straight and doubted he could spread himself so thin over so many people. Having two girlfriends, that may have been a sweet deal for some, but Soji was very much content with all of the affection he received from one girl. Rise was enough for him a few times over.

Soji had burnt himself out after a little while longer of the intense kissing session, and he felt so very tired that he thought he might cry. He dragged his sorry butt from Rise's bed, though, knowing that if he was caught there, he'd be in huge trouble. Straightening his shirt a bit, he left the room without a single word, satisfied and feeling quite content. Somehow, the sick young man stumbled into his own room (how long had he had a key card to the room?) and he didn't even care this time through that Minato was sleeping and taking up most of the bed. Kanji and Yosuke were tangled up in each other, and as hilarious as that would have been to have captured on film, Soji was simply too exhausted. Collapsing onto the bed next to Minato, reduced to a corner, the male was asleep as soon as his head hit pillow.

---

Upon waking the next morning, everything felt heavy and loud. Minato was in the bathroom, coughing, and for a moment, Soji simply dismissed it and tried to roll over to fall asleep. Light peeked through his eyelids and he caught the time on the clock. It was only five in the morning. Kanji was snoring gently and Yosuke was half on the floor, legs pinned underneath the other boy. Soji squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push everything out and slip back to sleep.

Then he realized what Minato's coughing was, and he stood up gently, sore in his back. Making out passionately with Rise was only vaguely in the back of his mind, reminding him that being bent over someone on a bed could do that to you. Staggering to the door, leg a tad asleep, Soji peeked blearily into the lighted room. A hoarse, "You okay?" escaped him, causing the blue-haired male to jump and look behind himself quickly.

"O-Oh. Soji," Minato sighed, relaxing. He wiped his mouth. Soji moved in, wincing at the smell. Minato had thrown up? What was that about? Was his health in worse shape than before? Soji went through a tired, mental panic for a moment. Then he realized that perhaps Minato was just sick from having his Shadow attack. Soji settled down beside the blue-haired boy on the floor, looking at him quietly.

"Are you okay?" Soji asked quietly. "Is this something I should worry about?"

Minato shook his head feebly, smiling a bit despite the green to his face. "No…Just a bit woozy. Room is spinning. I think it's from being in the TV…"

Soji nodded. "I'm not so hot myself. I understand," he replied, and then lay back, propping himself against the bath-tub side. It was a cramped bathroom, even without the two boys, and so some adjustments had to be made in position to be comfortable. Minato flushed the toilet a few times, then rested his head on his arms, which he folded on the seat.

For a while, neither of them said anything, and soon Minato started to gag again. Soji moved to rub his back, trying not to be sick himself at the sound of the retching. Minato moaned a little, flushing and wiping his mouth again when he was done.

"You should go back to sleep," Minato whispered. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Soji shook his head. "No. It's okay. I wasn't sleeping too well either. Can we turn off the light, though?"

Minato nodded, and Soji moved just enough so he could reach the switch. As soon as the lights went off, both of them sighed in relief, the brightness having been a pain to their impaired vision. Soji moved, trying to feel Minato's temperature by using the back of his hand against the other's forehead, but it felt the same temp as his hand. Soji smiled sickly.

"I'm sorry, Minato. I should have behaved better toward you. I really let you down."

Minato chuckled lowly, peeking above his folded arms, staring at the back of the toilet. "No, Soji…I purposely tried to rile you a lot of times. I'm sorry too…"

They were quiet a bit longer, before Minato shut his eyes and exhaled quietly. "My parents died when I was little. It was a car crash. I loved them very much. That day, I felt something in me change. I didn't know it was because Death had been placed inside of me, but I grew very hateful of my world. I didn't talk. My relatives had not wanted the responsibility of me as it was, and so the feeling was mutual between us."

Hearing Minato speak this much perked Soji and he looked to the boy a bit dizzily, wondering what was bringing on the conversation. _Maybe_, Soji thought, _it's because I said we needed to talk._

Minato continued. "I lived out in the country for a little bit with my aunt and uncle. I was little and I had lost most everything, but I never felt lonely. It was like something was warm in my chest, and so I never ached because I was alone. I ached because I missed my parents and my home."

"Tell me about your parents," Soji interrupted. He didn't want to hear about the sad parts. He knew how painful being without parents was. His were alive, yes…but they might not as well have been. He wouldn't dare say that aloud, though. Alive parents who were never there were still very different than dead parents.

Minato sighed gently, fondly. "My dad…He was really tall. He had blue hair, like me, and it was always in a ponytail. He wore glasses when he read to me. He was like a professor, I think, or maybe a teacher. He was smart. I remember trying to read his books, but I couldn't, because they were full of hard words. But he was always really nice. He'd play with me when he could."

"And your mother?"

"She was really pretty. I wanted to marry her, because I loved her so much. She spoiled me stupid, I think. I can't remember a time when she wasn't bending over to give me some sweet of some kind. She had my gray eyes, and they were so kind. So kind," Minato breathed gently, sounding a bit pained. It was a good pain, though. These were words he hadn't said aloud in ages, if he ever had. Soji was glad he may have been one of the first to hear it. "We'd go on walks a lot. I remember seeing a brother and sister once, and I told her I wanted a baby brother. She gave me this look…"

Minato looked to Soji tiredly. "Maybe she wanted me to have one too. I don't remember."

"Did you have any friends?"

Minato shut his eyes. "I was small. I don't remember if I did or not. I can't recall."

Soji rubbed Minato's back again and gave him a gentle smile. Minato gave him a sad, lonely look, and then let out a soft noise. "I miss them, Soji. I miss them…and I'll miss all of my friends…"

"Koromaru is staying with you, until you have to go away," Soji soothed. "I'll stay with you. My friends will stay with you. We won't let you be lonely. Your friends will never forget you, either. Maybe they'll name a kid after you, or something." He smiled, and Minato made a sputtering noise that may have been a laugh.

Minato cried for a little while into his sleeves, and when he was done, the two young men stood up dizzily. They crawled back into bed, knowing they could possibly only get in another twenty minutes until an official wakeup call would be sent up. It didn't matter. Any rest was better than no rest, and Soji knew that sleeping on the train would be an option too.

In the very back of his mind, he felt the faint stirrings of a true bond between Minato and he.

_The World Social Link has been established_

Soji and Minato smiled into their pillows.

* * *

A/N: HEY

ONE THING

If you caught the reference, good for you. The 'Ichigo' bit. Soji's voice actor (as well as Adachi's) is Johnny Yong Bosch, who has been in just about every game/anime in existence, but he is also the voice actor of Ichigo from Bleach. So. If you caught that, you win a nice pat on the back


End file.
